Charles Stanley Causley was a Cornish poet, schoolmaster and writer. His work is noted for its simplicity and directness and for its associations with folklore, especially when linked to his native Cornwall. Causley was born on 24 Aug 1917 at Launceston in Cornwall and was educated there and in Peterborough.  His work is characterised by its simplicity; his poems for adults are very similar in style to those written for children. His poetry often has deeper meanings hidden behind the simplicity. In 1958 Causley was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded a CBE in 1986. Other awards include the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1967.

His first published collection of poems was titled Farewell Aggie Weston and was published in the classic "slim volume" style by The Hand and Flower Press in 1951. Along with several companion volumes by other poets, this volume is now very collectable. This was followed by Survivor's Leave in 1953, but his reputation was established in 1957 with the publication of Union Street by Rupert Hart-Davis. This volume contained an introduction by Edith Sitwell who was very enthusiastic about Causley's poetry. He died on 4 November 2003 at the age of 86.