Roger McGough

Check out Roger McGough on BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme discussing The Festival of Britain, becoming an ambassador for The Southbank Centre’s ‘A Poet in Every Port’Project and performing his new poem ‘Poetry, the big fish in The Pool of Life’, which was composed for the initiative. Roger also touches on his memories of The Festival of Britain and the relevance of poetry in today’s world.

The Southbank Centre announces Roger McGough as ambassador for A Poet in Every Port

“May I begin by saying how honoured and excited I feel about being appointed ambassador for such a worthwhile project, helping to promote something that has been central to me my whole life: Poetry. And not only poetry, but the Southbank Centre itself, because I remember when I was 14 beingbrought to London by my parents and being overawed by the Festival of Britain celebrations.

Until then I thought only Liverpudlians knew how to enjoy themselves.

“As ambassador I will help promote something I have loved all my life. Helping others reach out and touch people through poetry. Guiding the reader towards thoughts and ideas they didn't know they had. Above all else, writing poetry is what helps us feel human, vulnerable and yet powerful, and above all, alive.

Seriously, I am deeply honoured and it goes without saying that AI wasn’t interested in helping me with this.”

Liverpool is the pool of life.’ is a quote from Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist

after a dream in 1927. Although he never actually visited the city.

Poetry, the big fish in the Pool of Life

And we should know, we invented the word

As well as keks, cob ons and the Liver Bird

Antwacky, clobber, bevvy and sliced bread

Footy, of course, both Blue and Red

Scallywags, woolybacks, scran and whoppers

Jiggers, blerts, and bizzies for coppers

I’m nesh and it’s baltic, chucking it down

So ta-ra for now, I’ll see yiz round town.

(Enjoyed writing that, the words seemed to flow

Dialects can be fun, why not give it a go?)

Listen to interviews with Roger McGough from The Telegraph, The Times & The Spectator here:

Roger McGough’s The Collected Poems

Pre order Here

“This triumphant anthology stuns with its sheer variety…if you’ve only room for one book when you go on holiday this Summer, take this.”

Contact

Readings & performances and children’s publishing

Philippa Perry

07774 264 826

showmetherabbit.com

1 Westfield House, 80 Westgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 3HP

Literary agent/permission requests

Charles Walker, United Agents

020 3214 0874

cwalker@unitedagents.co.uk

Photo Credit: Giacomo Gianenelli

A new series of Poetry Please out now on BBC Radio 4. Listen to all the episodes here.

'His poetry is like a supermodel who can complete a Sudoku puzzle moments before swishing down the catwalk --- easy on the eye and smart as a whip.' Lorne Jackson, Birmingham Daily Post

PAY-BACK TIME

O Lord, let me be a burden on my children
For long they've been a burden upon me. May they fetch and carry, clean and scrub
And do so cheerfully.

Let them take it in turns at putting me up
Nice sunny rooms at the top of the stairs
With a walk-in bath and lift installed
At great expense.....Theirs.

Insurance against the body-blows of time
Isn't that what having children's all about?
To bring them up knowing that they owe you
And can't contract out?

What is money for but to spend on their schooling?
Designer clothes, mindless hobbies, usual stuff.
Then as soon as they're earning, off they go
Well, enough's enough.

It's been a blessing watching them develop
The parental pride we felt as each one grew.
But Lord, let me be a burden on my children
And on my children's children too.