Alan Young, a long-time contributor to Poetry Nation and P·N·R, played a vital role in its development. It was he who introduced Edgell Rickword to the magazine and edited the two volumes of Rickword's major criticism for Carcanet, Essays and Opinions 1921-1931 and Literature in Society. He reviewed for P·N·R, contributed to the celebratory issues, and interviewed Sir Lennox Berkeley in these pages. Professor C.B. Cox, like the editor of this magazine a close friend and colleague of Alan Young's, writes:

Alan Young (1930-1991) was brought up in a working-class home in Manchester. His family could not afford holidays, so when at the age of 18 he became a conscript he had never seen the sea. On a route march in Devon, he crested the brow of a hill to witness before him for the first time the astonishing vista of the English channel, moving blues and greens, surpassing beauty. For him it was a moment of revelation, an epiphany.

Alan reacted with similar joy to literature and music. And to cricket. And to Manchester United. He was a great enthusiast. In the army he played cricket at Minor County level, and for many years he played for Styal. Once he was acting as umpire while his own club, Styal, were on the field. At a tense moment in the match the opposing batsman was leg before wicket. Alan leapt into the air, shouting 'Howzat'. He was still in the air when he recalled to his embarrassment ...