The prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, may be the most prolific (and florid) of all, with eight books to his name, including two of poetry and a history of Napoleon's 100 days.

ECONOMIST: Why French politicians produce so many books

The conductor also received more than a dozen honorary doctorates, was honored in countries from Finland to Japan, and managed to write two books of poetry.

WSJ: Conductor, Juilliard emeritus James DePreist dies

The two of them had discussed what Anglo-Welsh poetry - writing about Wales in English - actually meant.

BBC: Tributes paid to Anglo-Welsh poet Raymond Garlick

" Nearly two decades later, "Dark Matter, " with its rejection of the braggadocio and violence often found in hip-hop and its embrace of poetry and natural imagery, could finally enable this father of two to seize that mantle of "child educator.

WSJ: GZA on 'Dark Matter' Album - Interview: Rapper Finds Muse in the Stars

Mr Barnes' partner Rebecca Dixon and their two children - Alexandra, 12, and eight-year-old Freddy - attended the service which included poetry and tributes.

BBC: Capt Pete Barnes

The silent dignity of exile may be a subject for memoir, perhaps, or for poetry, but, to judge from this tempered, overrefined movie, it requires an explosion or two to make it a subject for drama.

NEWYORKER: Learning on the Job