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Dom Sylvester Houédard (1924,Guernsey,Channel Islands–1992) was a British Benedictine monk, writer, and artist, widely celebrated for his role in the development of concrete poetry. Born Pierre-Thomas-Paul Joseph Houédard on February 16, 1924, in Guernsey in the Channel Islands, he went on to study at Jesus College, Oxford. During World War II, he served in British Army Intelligence from 1944 to 1947. In 1949, Houédard joined the Benedictine monastic community at Prinknash Abbey in Gloucestershire. He was ordained as a priest a decade later and took the name Sylvester. Alongside his religious life, he cultivated a deep interest in literature, theology, and avant-garde art, blending these fields in unique and thought-provoking ways. Houédard became a major figure in the concrete poetry movement of the 1960s. He is best known for his "typestracts"—visually intricate compositions made using a typewriter, particularly the Olivetti Lettera 22. These pieces pushed the boundaries of poetry, focusing on the visual arrangement of words and symbols as much as their linguistic content. Between 1961 and 1966, he served as the literary editor for the Jerusalem Bible, further demonstrating his engagement with both spiritual and intellectual traditions. He also played a foundational role in the creation of Gloup, a concrete poetry collective formed in 1964 with fellow artists John Furnival and Ken Cox. Houédard's work extended beyond poetry into broader dialogues with contemporary thinkers and artists. He corresponded and collaborated with influential cultural figures such as Yoko Ono, John Cage, and Allen Ginsberg, reflecting his deep interest in experimental art and cross-disciplinary exploration. Throughout his life, Houédard published extensively on topics ranging from theology and mysticism to art and literature. His legacy lies in his innovative blending of spiritual contemplation and modernist aesthetics, securing his place as a significant voice in both 20th-century religious thought and experimental art.