Jeremy Poynting has just sent notice that Archie Markham has died of a heart attack in Paris. He was 69. Terrifically sad news, Archie was hugely talented and a really super bloke.

Yes, it was terribly sad news. And shocking, too - when he visited us at Keele a few weeks ago, his astonishing energy and sense of fun were utterly undiminished. I found myself imagining him being exactly the same at 80, 90.

He was a fascinating writer, a lovely, funny man, and an unorthodox but profoundly affecting teacher and mentor.

Yes, a big loss to poetry. I've always admired his work and regret that I never got to hear him read.

Very sad news. I remember him telling me with relish how he got a book accepted under a female pseudonym accompanied by an author photograph of a young, beautiful blonde woman. Not only that, but he got a few letters from readers with interesting propositions.

I republished all his pseudonymous poetry: Sally Goodman was the female persona. A white feminist poet from a worker's collective as I recall, she had a lot of political support in the 70s, some rather complex relationships going on there. His Lambchops poems are quite extraordinary, too, satires or pychological dramas on colonial and immigrant experience. Something he was involved in as his family owned property and rented it to the British Government.

Terrible news, I saw it earlier on the web. He's one of those people you just know he;'d be a wonderful guy, just from looking at him. And his poetry has the most gorgeous musicality, too, which is rare these days. And his speaking voice, completely beautiful - I'd have loved to see him read.

I didn't know about Sally Goodman, what is this book? Is it funny? (Editing in: it's only right there on the Salt website. See, I always miss the obvious.)

But this is sad sad news and only 69. He should have had years.

One of the most entertaining conversationalists I've ever been fortunate enough to, well, listen to. I can't read his poetry without hearing him perform it in my head. Gloomy and sorrowful news. As Jim says, he was someone you imagined going on ad infinitum.

Just to clarify, I mean in life, not at readings. Though he did begin his retirement speech by saying, 'Make yourselves comfortable, I've prepared something and I'll be about 40 minutes' or something like that. (It took longer, and was worth it.)

Sad news, indeed. I was most excited at the prospect of seeing Archie at the Poetry Society competition shindig the other week but he never made it. I always admired his dress sense as well.

Obituary from The Independent