Robert Medley - Early Life

Early Life

Charles Robert Owen Medley was born on 19 December 1905 in London, the son of Charles Medley, a copyright lawyer who was friends with many writers of the day. He was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, Norfolk (1919–1923), the Byam Shaw School of Art in 1923-1924, Royal Academy Schools in 1924, at the Slade School of Fine Art in 1924-1926, and at Paris in 1926-1928.

At school Medley was the friend of W. H. Auden, and first suggested that Auden might write poetry (although Medley did not know at the time that he had this effect). As described in his memoir, Drawn from the Life, in his early years he believed he was heterosexual (and therefore did not understand Auden's erotic intentions toward him until they spent a single weekend together after both had left school). Until he was seduced at 19 (he recalled later), "I was still under the illusion that I was entirely heterosexual."