Robert Graham
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Graham grew up in and around Belfast and has lived for a long time in Manchester. He is married with two children and teaches Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, Cheshire. His short stories have appeared in a variety of magazines, including Metropolitan, Tandem, and She, and in anthologies such as Northern Stories and Pool. He has also had work broadcast on Radio 4’s short story slot. He is the co-author, with Keith Baty of Elvis - The Novel (The Do-Not Press, 1997). Over a dozen of Robert’s plays for youth theatres have been staged, including If You Have Five Seconds To Spare, (about fans of The Smiths) which Contact Theatre, Manchester produced. He is co-author and co-editor of The Road To Somewhere: A Creative Writing Companion (Palgrave, 2005) and at work on How To Write Fiction (And Think About It) which is due to be published by Palgrave in 2006. His first novel, Holy Joe, is published by Troubador in February, 2006.
WEBSITE
GENRE
Literary Fiction
PUBLICATIONS | PERFORMANCE HISTORY
Fictional Biography
ELVIS - The Novel (with Keith Baty), The Do-Not Press, 1997
Novel
Holy Joe, Troubador, February, 2006
Short Stories
The Elvis On The Wall (She) 1984
An Object of Desire (BBC Radio 4’s Short Story) 1993
The Secret Life of Frank Sinatra (BBC Radio 4’s Short Story) 1993
Bathers (BBC Radio 4’s Short Story) 1995
Celebrity Blessings (Metropolitan) 1995
Carcasses (Northern Stories Volume 5) 1995
Why Men Play Bowls (Tandem) 1996
Playing Gershwin (Incline Press) 1997
Carcasses (Pool, Liverpool John Moores University / Headland anthology) 2001
Fruit or Vegetable (Pool, Liverpool John Moores University / Headland anthology) 2003
Creative Writing Pedagogy
The Road To Somewhere: A Creative Writing Companion (A text for Writing tutors and students. Co-edited with Heather Leach (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Helen Newall (Edge Hill) and co-written with Julie Armstrong, Heather Leach, Helen Newall and John Singleton (formerly MMU). Palgrave Macmillan, January 2005.
Forthcoming:
How To Write Fiction (And Think About It) Palgrave Macmillan, 2006
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Creative Writing With Dr Heather Leach, MMU Cheshire Continuum, 2007
Theatre
Stage Plays for Young People, The Invective Dan Kamikaze (with Keith Baty) Edinburgh Fringe, 1988
If You Have Five Seconds To Spare Contact Theatre, Manchester, 1989
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, School production, script adapted from the film; Manchester, 1989
Stick It In Your Boxfile, School production, Manchester, 1990
Voodoobusters!, Caterpillar, Ivy Cottage Church, Manchester, 1998
The Noah Show, Caterpillar, Moss Side Carnival, Manchester, 1999
I.W.T.P.Y.L.I.S, Caterpillar, Ivy Cottage Church, Manchester, 2000
The Big Fish, Caterpillar, Ivy Cottage Church, Manchester, 2001
Disciples, Caterpillar, Zion Arts Centre, Manchester, 2002
The Dreamer, Caterpillar, Zion Arts Centre, Manchester, 2003
Soul Academy, Caterpillar, Zion Arts Centre, Manchester, 2004
The Amazing Grip, Caterpillar, Zion Arts Centre, Manchester, 2005
WORKSHOP | READINGS EXPERIENCE","REFERENCE/S
Teaching Creative Writing in universities since 1995.
Creative Writing Workshops:
1982 Kirkham Open Prison
1988 Blackpool Collegiate High School
1989 Lancashire Schools Library Service at Blackpool Zoo
1991 Lancashire Schools Library Service at Greenhalgh Agricultural College
1991 Salford Schools Library Service (workshops in Eccles and Swinton)
1992 Scriptwriting Workshop, Burnley College (on BTEC Media course)
1992 Writers’ Week, Wythenshawe (with Livi Michaels, Paul Abbott, AdËle Geras & Lemm Sissay)
1993 Woodlea County Junior School, Broughton, Lancs
1993 St Wilfred’s RC Primary School, Longridge, Lancs
1995 Liverpool John Moores University (BA Imaginative Writing programme)
1995 University College of St Martin, Lancaster
1995 Stockport Schools Library Service (workshops in Hazel Grove, Cheadle, Marple, Edgeley)
1995 St Wilfred’s R.C. Primary School, Longridge, Lancs
1996 Liverpool John Moores University (BA Imaginative Writing programme)
1997 Burnage High School, Manchester
1998 Whalley Range High School, Manchester Courses
1993-94 Workers’ Education Association, Rochdale Twenty two-hour sessions on the short story.
1998 Write Fiction. A beginner’s writing course, consisting of a month of Saturday workshops at the Lead Station, Chorlton, Manchester.
2004 Brookburn Primary School, Chorlton, Manchester.
2005 Brookburn Primary School, Chorlton, Manchester.
REFERENCE/S
Professor Allen Fisher Department of Contemporary Arts, MMU Cheshire, Alsager Campus, Hassall Road, Alsager, Cheshire, ST7 2HL
GROUP SIZE PREFERENCE
Flexible
GROUP AGE PREFERENCE
16+
WORKING LANGUAGE/S
English
AREA/S PREPARED TO TRAVEL
North West
OTHER INFORMATION
I’m available for readings in 2006 to promote my novel Holy Joe, and can work with readers’ groups or writers’ groups.
Librarians in the North West have pioneered partnership working to encourage new readers into libraries. Time To Read is a partnership of librarians engaged in reader development activity in public library authorities in the North West Region. All 23 public library authorities in the region currently support Time To Read.