Mr Kirkup, 91, who died in Andorra at the weekend, is one of the most significant literary figures to emerge from South Tyneside.

He produced dozens of poetry collections, novels, translations, travel writings and memoirs, in a career stretching back more than 50 years.

But although a much-travelled man of letters, Mr Kirkup remained inspired by childhood memories of his native South Shields, captured in his classic early autobiography, The Only Child, and numerous poems.

Dorothy Fleet, from Whitburn, a good friend of the poet for more than 40 years, who has helped establish the Kirkup Collection archive at South Shields Central Library, said: "James loved his home town and his heart was in South Shields.

"But he often called himself a lonely, only child, and that sense of isolation followed him throughout his life and inspired much of his work."

Mrs Fleet said plans are afoot to organise a memorial reading in his home town to commemorate the poet's varied life and work.

Born in Cockburn Street, on The Lawe, Mr Kirkup established his literary reputation with his first poetry collection, A Correct Compassion, in 1952, the title poem being a vivid description of a heart operation.

He became the first Gregory Fellow at Leeds University and later taught at universities around the world, developing a special affinity with Japan.

A translator from several languages, including French, German, Russian, Norwegian and Japanese, Mr Kirkup was also a master of verse forms.

Kirkup's work hit the headlines in the 1970s when a poem he wrote about Christ's crucifixion was the centre of a blasphemy case.

His latest collection, Marsden Bay, published by Morpeth-based Red Squirrel Press, was launched last November at South Shields Central Library.

Sheila Wakefield, his publisher, said: "James was a major literary figure and I was honoured to have published his work.

"But he was also very prolific and there are several more collections in the pipeline, because he was sending me poems by snail mail right up until the last week of his life."

James Kirkup's work is featured in dozens of anthologies, including The Oxford Book of Twentieth-Century English Verse, edited by Philip Larkin.