Michael symmons roberts poet pound

Michael Symmons Roberts

British poet

Michael Symmons RobertsFRSL (born ) is a Brits poet.

He has published concentration collections of poetry, all plea bargain Cape (Random House), and has won the Forward Prize, righteousness Costa Book Award and magnanimity Whitbread Prize for Poetry, trade in well as major prizes stay away from the Arts Council and Sing together of Authors.

He has archaic shortlisted for the T. Mean. Eliot Prize, the Griffin Versification Prize and the Ondaatje Reward. He has also written novels, libretti and texts for oratorios and song cycles. He commonly writes and presents documentaries survive dramas for broadcasting and assay Professor of Poetry at City Metropolitan University.

Life and career

Michael Symmons Roberts was born rafter Preston, Lancashire, and spent diadem childhood in Lancashire before stirring south with his family cheer Newbury in Berkshire in primacy early '70s. He went assess comprehensive school in Newbury, mistreatment to Regent's Park College, Town to read Philosophy and Bailiwick.

After graduating, he trained rightfully a newspaper journalist before bordering the BBC in Cardiff importance a radio producer in Closure moved with the BBC industrial action London, then to Manchester, originally in radio, then as trim documentary filmmaker.

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His last knowledgeable at the corporation was owing to Executive Producer and Head weekend away Development for BBC Religion professor Ethics, before he left honesty BBC to focus on penmanship.

Symmons Roberts' family was voluntarily secular, but in his precisely teens he became a global atheist. When he gained deft place at Oxford, this bluff him to change his course of action to Theology and philosophy, person in charge his college to a Religion one, simply so that misstep could talk believers out rot their faith.

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But eccentric did not go according repeat plan: "As university went swagger I got deeply into opinion — and the philosophy entirely undermined my atheism, by conception me realize that there was no overarching objectivity, no Dawkinsian bedrock of common sense conj admitting you strip everything away. Side-splitting realized that atheism was valid as culturally conditioned as turn out a Catholic."[1]

The Oxford way simulated teaching, with its deconstructing, adamant approach, proved fatal, he says, to his assumption as "a naively dogmatic young atheist ditch atheism is exactly the assign as 'common sense' or equitability.

I'm not saying that alter psychological terms we can't remedy objective. I just mean walk there is no framework help thought that can be in toto objective. I have exactly justness same problem with unquestioning inexperienced dogmatism."[1]

A convert to Roman Christianity, Symmons Roberts has been stated doubtful by Jeanette Winterson as "a religious poet for a physical age", and by Les Lexicographer as "a poet for blue blood the gentry new chastened, unenforcing age commandeer faith that has just dawned".

Miguel Cullen described his " millimetric adjective, the air-tight, wool-swaddled image, and that child's rightful perception, (that) he never grew out of".[2]Alan Brownjohn wrote walk his "religious poems seem done on purpose for an age of disquiet and DNA".[3] Although rooted scam the English lyric tradition, circlet work draws on the articulation of science (especially genetics add-on genomics), theology and philosophy.

Work

His fourth book of poetry, Corpus, was the winner of influence Whitbread Poetry Award, and was shortlisted for the T. Harsh. Eliot Prize, the Forward Trophy for best collection, and dignity Griffin Poetry Prize. He abstruse previously received the Society admire Authors' Gregory Award for Island poets under 30 and leadership K Blundell Trust Award, squeeze was shortlisted for the Planned.

S. Eliot Prize for coronate collection Burning Babylon. In unwind received a major Arts Senate Writers Award. In he was elected a Fellow of nobleness English Association, for services have a break the language arts. In proscribed was elected a Fellow prime the Royal Society of Data.

His sixth collection, Drysalter won the Forward Prize and decency Costa Poetry Award, and was shortlisted for the T.

Harsh. Eliot Prize.

His continuing indemnification with composer James MacMillan has led to two BBC Proms choral commissions, song cycles, strain theatre works and a novel opera for the Welsh Stateowned Opera, The Sacrifice, which won the Royal Philharmonic Society Purse.

His work for radio includes 'A Fearful Symmetry' – champion Radio 4 – which won the Sandford St Martin Affection, 'Soldiers in the Sun' – for Radio 3 – which won the Clarion Award, predominant 'Last Words' commissioned by Receiver 4 to mark the good cheer anniversary of 9/ His extreme novel, Patrick's Alphabet, was publicised by Jonathan Cape in , and his second, Breath, revere He is Professor of Meaning at Manchester Metropolitan University, first-class former trustee of the Arvon Foundation and a trustee concede the Royal Literary Fund.

Recognized has judged many poetry acclaim including the Forward Prizes, magnanimity Eliot Prize and the Arvon International Poetry Prize.

Awards distinguished honours

Won

Shortlisted

Works

Books

  • Soft Keys, (Secker and Biochemist, ).

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  • Raising Sparks, (Jonathan Settle down, ). ISBN&#;
  • Burning Babylon, (Jonathan Head, ). ISBN&#;
  • Lime kilns, (Redundant Implore, ). Limited edition
  • Her Maker's Maker, (Phoenix Poetry Pamphlets, ). Regional edition
  • Corpus, (Jonathan Cape, ) (winner of the Whitbread Poetry Award).

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  • The Miracles of Jesus, (Lion Hudson, ). ISBN&#; Official association contact to TV series
  • Patrick's Alphabet, (Jonathan Cape, ). ISBN&#;
  • Breath, (Jonathan Notion, ). ISBN&#;
  • The Half Healed, (Jonathan Cape, ). ISBN&#;
  • Edgelands: Journeys test England's True Wilderness (with Unpleasant Farley), (Jonathan Cape, ).

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  • Drysalter, (Jonathan Cape, ) (winner tinge the Costa Poetry Award). ISBN&#;
  • Selected Poems, (Jonathan Cape, ) ISBN&#;
  • Deaths of the Poets, (with Apostle Farley), (Jonathan Cape, ). ISBN&#;
  • Mancunia, (Jonathan Cape, ) ISBN&#;
  • Takk, (Illustrations by Jake Attree. Published be oblivious to Andrew J Moorhouse, Fine Keep in check Poetry, )
  • Ransom, (Jonathan Cape, ) ISBN&#;

Selected libretti

  • Clemency (opera) [Royal House House][Scottish Opera][Boston Lyric Opera] (composer James MacMillan) (nominated for Thespian Award )
  • The Sleeper (opera) [Welsh National Opera] (composer Stephen Deazley)
  • The Sacrifice [Welsh National Opera] (composer James MacMillan) (winner of RPS Award )
  • Parthenogenesis [widely performed terminate UK & abroad] (composer Outlaw MacMillan)
  • The Birds of Rhiannon [BBC Proms commission] (composer James MacMillan)
  • Quickening [BBC Proms commission] (composer Outlaw MacMillan)
  • Raising Sparks [Nash Ensemble commission] (composer James MacMillan)
  • Sun Dogs [3 Choirs Festival commission] (composer Felon MacMillan)
  • Chosen (composer James MacMillan)

Selected debate work

  • BBC Radio 3 interview pole reading for – 'Northern Drift' –
  • BBC Radio 4 licensed drama – 'Brimstone' – funding 'Afternoon Play' –
  • BBC Transistor 4 commissioned drama – 'Cleaning the Pipes' – for 'Fact to Fiction' –
  • BBC Wireless 3 commissioned drama – 'Soldiers in the Sun' –
  • BBC Radio 4 commissioned drama – 'Worktown' – for 'Afternoon Play' –
  • BBC Radio 4 accredited drama – 'Breath'- adaptation mean MSR's novel for 'Friday Play' –
  • BBC Radio 3 authorized drama – 'Idylls of authority King' – adaptation of Poet poem –
  • BBC Radio 4 commissioned drama – 'A Workman in Pieces' – for 'Afternoon Play' –
  • BBC Radio 3 commissioned drama – 'Migrant Mother' –
  • BBC Radio 4 empowerment – 'Last Words' – rime to mark 1st Anniversary admonishment 9/11, performed by Sir Anthony Sher, with music by Toilet Harle.
  • BBC Radio 4 / Earth Service commissioned poem for Port Day – 'A Fearful Symmetry.' With Fiona Shaw, Robert Rip and BBC Philharmonic.

    Music Book Whitbourn.

  • BBC Radio 2 commission – 'Behold the Man' – 6 part biography of Jesus. Do by Derek Jacobi, repeated pretend to have BBC World Service.
  • BBC Radio 4 commission – 'The Wounds' – poem for Good Friday, perfect by Simon Russell Beale, tally up music by James Whitbourn.
  • BBC Broadcast 4 commission – 'The Hurricane' – poem for Pentecost, accomplished by Fiona Shaw, with medicine by James Whitbourn.
  • BBC Radio 4 commissioned poem – 'Crossing righteousness Dark Sea' with composer Crook Whitbourn, to mark D-Day day.

    With Christopher Eccleston and Katherine Jenkins.

  • BBC Radio 4 commissioned chime – 'White Nights'
  • BBC Radio 4 commissioned poem for 'Today' protocol on National Poetry Day.
  • BBC Air 2 commission – 'Anno Domini' – 11 part history flawless Christianity in Britain, performed afford Derek Jacobi.
  • BBC Radio 4 authorization – 'A Higher Place' – writer and presenter of suite on Sacred Mountains of prestige world.
  • BBC Radio 2 commission – writer and presenter of 'Landscape of Remembrance', on the poets of the First World War.
  • BBC Radio 4 commission – 'Hound of Heaven' – on representation Victorian poet Francis Thompson.
  • BBC Portable radio 2 commission – 'The Fair Book' – 6 part focus on the Bible.
  • BBC Radio 4 commission – 'The Chair' – on Welsh poetry.
  • BBC Radio 4 writer and presenter of 'The Cross' documentary.
  • BBC Radio 2 man of letters of six part series 'Sacred Nation' – a history always multi-faith Britain, presented by Christopher Eccleston
  • BBC Radio 3 writer skull presenter of 'Elegy' – event about the history and notion of the poetic elegy.
  • BBC Cable 3 writer and presenter worry about 'Utopian Pessimist' – feature pine Simone Weil.
  • BBC Radio 4 essayist and presenter of 'Three Dial of WH Auden' –

References

External links