It is with great sadness that we announce the death of David Perman, journalist, broadcaster, writer, poet and publisher of Rockingham Press, and a longstanding supporter and Interviews Editor of Acumen.
David had an extraordinarily varied life in words. His long career encompassed journalism and broadcasting with the BBC World Service, writing and poetry, publishing, local history and conservation, alongside a remarkable commitment to creating opportunities for other writers.
David was a longstanding friend and supporter of Acumen before becoming our Interviews Editor. He brought to his interviews the instincts of a lifelong journalist, a poet’s understanding of the art and craft, wide-ranging curiosity and, above all, a genuine interest in poets and their work. Even during his final illness, David remained actively engaged with Acumen, completing two interviews. The first will appear in Issue 116, to be published in October 2026, and the second in Issue 117 in January 2027. They will have a particular significance for us now.
Beyond Acumen, David made an enduring contribution to poetry. He co-founded Ware Poets in 1991, creating a forum for poets to share their work and for audiences to hear established and emerging voices – an organisation that continues to flourish more than three decades later. Through Rockingham Press, which he also established in 1991, he championed new and neglected poets, alongside more established voices, published first collections and brought poetry in translation to new readers. David was also a longstanding supporter of and contributor to the Torbay Poetry Festival, attending every year from its inception in 2001 until its final festival in 2019. Throughout his life, he encouraged poets and helped create places in which poetry and poets could flourish.
David was also a local historian and a passionate supporter of the history, heritage and conservation of his community in Ware, playing an active part in many local initiatives.
Above all, David was a generous supporter of poetry and poets, and a greatly valued friend and colleague. His curiosity, knowledge, enthusiasm and encouragement will be greatly missed by all of us at Acumen.
A tribute page has been created for David, where friends, colleagues and those whose lives he touched can share memories, photographs and messages: Please go here to share your memories, reflections or messages. We will celebrate David’s life, writing and his many contributions to poetry more fully in a forthcoming Acumen in 2027.