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Roger McGough
Roger McGough writes poems for adults and children and he is
also a performance poet. He was born in Liverpool and was brought
up during the Second World War against the background of the
bombing of the city.
Roger's poems, alongside those of Brian Patten and
Adrian Henri, were published in an anthology called The Mersey
Sound that marked the arrival of the Mersey Poets.
Roger's first collection for children was published in
1976, inspired in part by his own children. Since then he has been
at the forefront of the movement to get poetry into schools. Like
many others, he inspires children to read and write poems by making
poetry accessible and fun.
Roger's own poems, whether for adults or children,
cover all subjects but focus especially on contemporary issues.
Lucky
'There was a boy at school we called 'Lucky'/ All he did was whinge and moan/ 'Lucky' was the nickname we gave him/ Because he was so accident prone.' The title poem of this collection reflects the dry humour of the whole. Roger McGough includes some irreverent job applications in this witty anthology. (9+)
Published in Puffin Books
An Imaginary Menagerie
From Aardvark to Zonk, this is an original alphabetical menagerie of animals such as Bookworms, Teapets and Wordfish as well as the more conventional Elephants, Oysters, and Lions. A wonderful collection of surprising creatures doing unexpected things. (9+)
Published in Puffin Books
Pillow Talk
Can pillows talk or fight? In these witty poems they can and do. Once again, Roger McGough takes a fresh look at familiar things, like stifling a yawn, sneezes and why trees are great. (9+)
Published in Puffin Books
Nailing the Shadow
Word-play, word tricks and riddles abound in this witty and stylish collection of poems by Roger McGough. A perfect read for anyone interested in the sophisticated use of words to express ideas. (10+)
Published in Puffin Books
Sky in the Pie
A classic anthology from Roger McGough with all his hallmark word-play on view. The title poem, Sky in The Pie begins, 'Waiter, there's a sky in my pie/ remove it at once if you please/ You can keep your incredible sunsets/ I ordered mincemeat and cheese'. The rest of the anthology is full of similarly unexpected and imaginative responses to everyday situations. (9+)
Published in Puffin Books
Bad Bad Cats
'Midnight. A knock at the door./ Open it? Better had./ Three heavy cats, mean and bad.' The first section of this anthology is devoted to the dark side of a cat's life - Mafia cats, cats that stay out too late at night and cats that get involved in the dodgy fur exchange business. Roger McGough is as original about cats as he is about everything else. (9+)
Published in Puffin Books
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[ Windows Media Clip 1- 'No Peas for the Wicked' from Lucky ]
[ Windows Media Clip 2- The starting point for a poem ]
[ Windows Media Clip 3- At school I didn't write poetry ]
[ Windows Media Clip 4- A way of getting away from Liverpool ]
