Dannie Abse was born in Cardiff in 1923. He began his medical studies at the Welsh National School of Medicine and qualified as a doctor from Westminster Hospital, London in 1950. While still a student his first book of poems was published and his first play performed. He married Joan Mercer in 1951. She had been an economics student at the London School of Economics and together in a long and happy marriage they raised three children, Susanna, Keren and David. Joan would also develop a career as a writer.