How it started...

I was born on October 26th 1956 in Oxford, and lived in the city until I went to University in Aberystwth, after a year I was off seeking a different furture in Bristol where I had strange jobs and formative times, became a dad. In 1985 I caught a bus to Sheffield  and have been living here ever since.


As a young lad I wanted to play football for England or play tennis at Wimbledon. However, I  always loved reading and writing and that's why he became a poet. I've had lots of jobs - shoe-shine boy, farmer, builder, office boy, gardener, but this being a poet lark is the most enjoyable and interesting by a long way and so I'm sticking with that.

 

I have an old-fashioned rickety-rackety caravan and like gooseberry crumble. My kitchen has had cereal boxes all over the walls, and I have 2 children who are pretty much grown up now.

 

 

Since 1991 I have been writing poems and performing his poetry. I like to make his poems both entertaining and thought-provoking. I have set a World Record (unofficial) performing in 50 venues in 5 hours on a tandem bicycle, and also invented the world's first Poetry Jukebox which gets used regularly at festivals and schools, along with the Fanti-elastical Zing-Zong Poetry Imagination Machine.

 

I really enjoy working with artists and musicians. My ambitions are world peace, join Plane Stupid, eat good food, and carry on swimming in rivers and lakes.



Publications

My work is published in magazines and in anthologies by Hodder and Stoughton, Macmillan, Oxford University Press and Scholastic. Some poems for adults are published in magazines such as Envoi, Fatchance, Magma, Obsessed With Pipework, Smith's Knoll, The Interpreter's House.

- among my books for adults

I have written a short novel set on allotments called Plot 161 (Spout Publications) 2 books of poems for adults, In The Kitchen With The Candlestick and Squeezing Lemons, published by me.


- and books for children

the latest book of poems for 7-11 year-olds is full of poems and drawings, as well as quizzes, dot-to-dots, prizes and ideas for writing your own poems

Goblin In The Fridge Upside Down Books.



Awards and Commissions


 1990
Oppenheim: John Downes Memorial Award
 1993
Sheffield Arts Dept: Footsteps and Whispers: sound and word tape for art galleries
 1994
Cheltenham Literature Festival: Hubble Bubble -  commissioned for opening ceremony in collaboration with Ralph Steadman
 1998 
Arts Council Writers Award: (Yorkshire and Humberside Arts) for Granny Power and Cocoa
 1999
Groundwork Trust: The Bolton Tapes - local history play2000-2001     Groundwork Trust: Kimberworth Tales - lead artist in collaboration with sculptor Marcella Livingstone creating texts for Roundwalk and Sculpture Trail
 2001 Colman Getty PR Consultancy: 2 Poems
 2003
Christina Sergeyevna Award
Outstanding Writing: Austin International Poetry  Festival, Texas, USA
 2003
Sheffield City Council: Valentine's poems for banners
 2004
Buxton Festival Fringe: Best Spoken Word Event
 2006
Arts Council England: Funding award to complete book poems for younger readers
 2008 Bank Street Arts: In Their Own Words poem
 2008
Ajagap: The Hidden Woman poem    
 2008
DARTS, Doncaster: The World of Normal (+ Faye Roberts)



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