sentences:  Before their deaths, he was a friend and fellow writer to Lionel Abrahams, Guy Butler, Douglas Livingstone and Stephen Watson.Cullinan made a significant contribution to South African poetry through his encouragement of young writers, both through his teaching, and through his willingness to mentor, support and constructively criticise.During his time at Oxford, he was similarly mentored by John Betjeman (who became a significant correspondent,) - and so represented a unique link between a lyrical English verse tradition and following generations of English-speaking South African poets.