TIME TO READ

Kevin Mccann

BIOGRAPHY

Kevin McCann,Winner of the Booktrust’s Writing Together Award 2006, a former teacher, is one of the North West's leading children’s poets. Nationally recognised, he has an impressive record of delivering high-quality poetry workshops to schools and young people’s groups across the country. He has worked with hundreds of schools and has conducted sessions with children of all ages and abilities. Most recently he has completed workshops and residencies for Lancashire LibrariesHalton Literacy Festival, Knowsley Arts, NAWE and Sefton EiZ.

WEBSITE

www.topofthetree.info

GENRE

Poetry And Creative Writing Surgeries, Workshops And Residences. Creative And Imaginitive Storytelling

PUBLICATIONS | PERFORMANCE HISTORY

For children

Creepy Poems (Usborne, 1990);

Funny Poems (Usborne, 1990);

Childrens Poems (Usborne, 1990);

Green Poetry (Wayland, 1991);

Science Poetry (Wayland, 1991);

Animal Poetry (Wayland, 1991);

You Just Can’t Win (Blackie, 1991);

Wordplay B.B.C., 1992);

We are not Alone (Macmillan, 1999);

Unzip your Lips Again (Macmillan, 1999);

The Works (Macmillan, 2000);

Out of Order (Evans, 2002);

Watch Out There’s a Ghost About (OUP, 2002);

Wicked Poems (Bloomsbury, 2002);

Hubble Bubble (Hodder, 2003);

Poems to Annoy your Parents (OUP, 2003);

Loony Letters and Daft Diaries (Macmillan, 2003);

Poems to take on Holiday (OUP, 2004);

Love, Hate and my Best Mate (Wayland, 2004);

The Works 5 (Macmillan, 2006);

The Poetry Store (Hodder, 2006);

Scary Poems to make you Shiver (OUP, 2006);

The Works 6 (Macmillan, 2006);

Poems About Water (Evans, 2007)

Kevin has also had poems, stories and writing strategies featured in Literacy Time (Scholastic).

And for adults :

The Trouble with Wings (Toulouse Press, 1982);

The Waiting Game (Poetry Minibooks, 1985);

Mirror, Mirror (Other Publications, 1993);

The Bear (Blue Cage Books, 1995);

In with the Shrink (Driftwood Publications 2003)

As Editor : Beautify the Nation (Toulouse Press, 1992);

Perfectly Acceptable (Liverpool Libraries,1992);

The Isle is Full of Noises (Caliban Books, 2002);

I Killed George Formby (2008)

Script editor for From Dawn to Dusk by Kevin Paton (premiered at The Bluecoat Chambers, Liverpool : October 17, 1997);

Commissioned to provide detailed review of poems from the Armenian by Razmik Davoyan for Macmillan.(2002).

RECORDING :The Contraries (Third Stone Records, 1996); Poetry Now (Sampler C.D. 1996)

WORKSHOP | READINGS EXPERIENCE","REFERENCE/S

Kevin has worked extensively with schools and youth groups throughout the whole of the country. He has been Writer-in-Residence in H.M.P. Birmingham (for the Arts Council of England) and H.M.P. Wymott (for the Poetry Society), appeared as a character in a novel and had a poem included in “The Lakes” by Jimmy McGovern. He has run poetry workshops and given readings in schools, prisons, community centres, libraries, hospitals, universities, cafes and pubs and is available for workshops for people of any age, ability, readings and residencies.

BROADCASTING : Poems and short stories on Radio City, Radio Four, Radio Five, Radio Merseyside, Red Rose Radio, World Service, B.B.C TV; Nothing Rhymes with Poets (Liverpool Big Screen, 2005) VIDEO : The Lakes by Jimmy McGovern (B.B.C. Videos, 1998).

PERFORMANCE : Readings in both England and the United States.

AWARDS : Joint winner of the Writing Together Teacher Writer Award, 2006.

REFERENCE/S

“One of the best poets in the country...” - Jimmy McGovern.

"Kevin provides that extra wow factor." TES

GROUP SIZE PREFERENCE

Workshops up to 30.

GROUP AGE PREFERENCE

Any

WORKING LANGUAGE/S

English

AREA/S PREPARED TO TRAVEL

Any

OTHER INFORMATION

Contact via Helen Robinson, Top of the Tree either by email helen@topofthetree.info or by phone 07803052047 after 4pm.

Kevin is loads of fun to work with and a reliable pair of hands!