Curriculum Vitae

After many years as a teacher, latterly deputy head of a large inner-city comprehensive in Leeds, I first started working as poet and performer in 1996, and then ran a reading and writing development course Grassroots, in conjunction with Leeds Libraries in 1997/8. After that I spent three years as Reader in Residence for Kirklees Libraries, setting up reading groups and managing events in libraries throughout Kirklees. I have been a leader of literature development in the region for many years.

  • I am a poet and performer with a growing reputation throughout the North and the UK.
  • I have experience of managing projects in education and community, am used to leading teams, but also of working as part of one, as follows:
    • I work extensively at the University of Leeds, in the School of Education, training future English teachers in how to teach creative writing.
    • I work in primary schools throughout the UK and Yorkshire [often in Leeds] , producing many anthologies of pupil poetry and, notably, poetry for a public art installation in Barnsley in 2008.
    • I have trained teams of English staff in Calderdale schools to help develop writing and reading in schools.
    • I work extensively with writing groups and school groups on performance skills training.
  • I am a presenter of large literature events, throughout the UK particularly the Ilkley literature Festival and Off the Shelf, Sheffield.
  • I have a broad journalistic experience in writing about the arts for Yorkshire Metro, as a book reviewer and poetry editor for Leeds Guide, and section editor for Northern Exposure
  • I am a publisher of writing by local poets and writers, Grassroots Press.
  • I am part of a team who won the CILIP national award for Yorkshire Readers days 2002.

Individual Projects

Here follows a list of larger projects I am, and have been, involved with.

My work with individual schools would be too numerous to mention, though there have been excellent writing projects at Ebor Gardens Primary School in Leeds, and Sheep Dip Lane Primary in Doncaster, over the last twelve months.

These many roles have given me a broad and comprehensive experience of working in different communities, with specialist groups (some of whom are particularly culturally disenfranchised), and with specific high-profile literary and reading events, where my presentation skills and literary knowledge come to the fore. Ongoing work in Leeds and Calderdale Schools has enabled me to work creatively with teaching staff, students and communities.

I have great ‘people’ skills and have worked with young people to produce creative work of a very high standard. I have appeared in the YTV programme, My Yorkshire, which focused on my work with young people and in the community.

  • Writer in Residence, Calderdale Education, 2004 -
  • Writer in Residence, Faculty of Education, Leeds University 2003 –
  • Presenter of Readers’ Days and literature events, throughout the UK, 2001 -
  • Writer in Residence, Wakefield Prison, 2003 to 2004.
  • Reader in Residence, BBC The Big Read, 2003.
  • Writer in Residence, Impressions and City Art Galleries, York June / July 2003
  • Co-ordinator of The Spoken Word Project (CIDA and YA) 2002 to 2004
  • Presenter of Thursday Night Live, West Yorkshire Playhouse 2002 to 2003
  • Writer in Residence, Beverley Literature Festival 2002
  • Reader/Writer in Residence, Wakefield Prison 2002 to 2003
  • Reader/Writer in Residence, NLB, April to September 2002
  • Poet 4 Seasons, Bradford Central Library April to June 2000
  • Reader in Residence, Kirklees Metropolitan Council, May 1998 to June 2001
  • Coordinator, Creative Reading Project (Arts Council) 1999 to 2001
  • Performances throughout the UK in the last decade including the following festivals City Voice(Leeds) Off The Shelf (Sheffield) Bradford Book Festival, Ilkley Literature Festival, Humber Mouth, Beverley Literature Festival.
  • Touring nationwide with Four Fathers 2005
  • Trainer (reading and writing development) with Kirklees, Sheffield, Wakefield, Doncaster, Leeds and Bradford Libraries 1999 to present

Education

  • MA in English Literature, Leeds University 1972
  • Advanced Diploma in Management, Sheffield 1982

Associations

  • NAWE National Association of Writers in Education
  • NALD National Association of Literature Development Workers

Publications

  • Deadly Sensitive (1999)
  • in transit (2000)
  • Coma Songs (2003)
  • Leeds Stories (Comma Press) July 2003, short story, alongside Tony Harrison, Martyn Bedford and Tom Palmer
  • Stories in Naked City, Four Fathers, Wonderwall (Route) 2004, 2005, 2006.
  • Branch-lines (Enitharmon Press) 2007, poems in anthology, alongside Seamus Heaney, Andrew Motion etc.