I am thrilled to be participating in a 'live' arts project that will not only demonstrate the extensive diversity of the UK's population but will also draw attention to the fact that we are all members of a common humanity...something to which far too many people are inclined to turn a blind eye or deaf ear.
I was born on December 21st in Gillingham (Kent) and graduated from the University of Kent in Canterbury (1973).
Most of my working life has been spent as a librarian and I also write poetry. In the early 1990s I began submitting poems for publication. To date, some 500+ poems have appeared in poetry publications worldwide, excluding any that only appear in my collections.
My collections are divided into loosely themed sections (for easy reading) and all include a gay section. As a gay man as well as a poet, I see no reason why poems on a gay theme should be treated as separate from mainstream literature. Most poetry publishers appear to disagree so I created my own imprint. Feedback has been very encouraging from straight and gay readers alike.
I am passionate about many things and write poems on many themes; street crime, drug abuse, socio-cultural-religious issues as well as the gay ethic. I will read a selection of these during my time on the plinth, including The Fourth Plinth - that I wrote after hearing about Antony Gormley's inspired project.
