AustLit

Francis Letters was educated at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1918, and practised as a barrister from 1927 to 1937 before becoming a foundation lecturer in Classics and English at New England University College, Armidale, New South Wales. He was a poet, essayist and author of academic criticism, publishing studies of Virgil, Thomas Mann, Joris Karl Huysmans and Sophocles.

In addition to his own three volumes of poetry, he contributed to Magic Casements, intended for children in New South Wales Catholic schools. He also wrote for various periodicals, including Catholic Fireside and Southerly. In 1960, Catholic Reader's Guide : a survey of the world's greatest literature, specially prepared for Catholic readers, was published.

He was awarded an honorary D. Litt by the National University of Ireland in 1956 and was made a Papal Knight in 1960 in recognition of his classical scholarship.

Maurice Kelly has edited For Service to Classical Studies : Essays in Honour of Francis Letters, published in 1966.