TED HUGHES is widely considered one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. He was born in Yorkshire in 1930, and was Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death in 1998. Hughes co-founded the Children's Laureateship with Michael Morpurgo. In 1974 Hughes was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. In 1977 he was awarded an OBE for services to Literature, and was awarded the OM in 1998.