Robin "Rob" Williams
Fictional character · In Event/Horizon
Established identity and circumstances
Rob is Steve’s poetry friend, a published pamphleteer and critic. He publishes Soundings through Intrinsic Spin and is active in Cambridge and later Edinburgh poetry circles (“Box Office”; “Snarky Bards”).
Desires, pressures and conflicts
Rob wants to be a poet, critic and literary organiser. He is generous towards Steve but also competes with him. His confidence is partly genuine and partly a performance; he admits that Steve’s work reaches places inaccessible to him.
Agency
Rob:
- introduces Steve to the Cambridge poetry scene and to Jeremiah Flynn;
- circulates Steve’s work;
- encourages him to submit Event/Horizon;
- selects or helps select the Outwrite extract;
- promotes Steve to Martin Lockwood;
- becomes involved with Angie;
- later becomes the likely successor to Martin in editorial terms.
The manuscript strongly suggests, but does not narrate directly, that Rob altered Steve’s poem and possibly participated in a false understanding about a letter encouraging him to pursue Angie. His editorial actions remain partly uncertain because the proof identifies him as responsible for “shaping” the text, while Martin made further amendments.
Development and position at the end
Rob becomes more professionally active and moves to Edinburgh. He forms a relationship with Angie. Martin’s death and the collapse of Outwrite alter his publishing role. He remains willing to find another outlet for Steve’s work, but his future as Steve’s advocate is uncertain after Steve’s jealous response to his relationship with Angie.