John McCullough (writer)

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John McCullough (* 1978 in Watford ) is a British writer and poet .

Act

John McCullough was born in Watford in 1978. He studied English and creative writing at the University of East Anglia and received his PhD in English literature from the University of Sussex . McCullough lives in Hove , East Sussex and teaches at the University of Brighton , the Arvon Foundation and the Open University . Much of his poems and works are about the vitality and wonders of contemporary city ​​life . Critics rate his writing style as humorous and flexible, formal and controlled, colloquial and intimate, sensual and cheeky, refreshing and invigorating.

His first cycle of poems, The Frost Fairs , won the Polari First Book Prize in 2012. The book explores the "science" of city life from a range of surreal angles, exploring love in various forms, from modern transatlantic relationships to hidden gay and cross-gender lives from the past. The Poetry School, an arts and charity organization with teaching centers for creative writing classes across England, as well as The Independent and The Observer magazines named the work “Book of the Year 2012”.

In 2016 his second collection of poems appeared: Spacecraft . Many of the poems in the book are about the LGBT scene in Brighton and his first partner, with whom he lived for twelve years and who died of AIDS . The Guardian named Spacecraft "Best Books for Summer 2016," in which McCullough unites form and content in a way that demonstrates a variety of language and imagination with great impact, from lyrical and learned to slang and funny.

His third volume of poetry, Reckless Paper Birds , published in May 2019, was described as “hilarious”, “shocking”, “sensational”, “surreal”, “happy”, “political”, “hypermodern” and “strange” . The collection captures the experiences of modern gay men and combines current social observations with raw emotions and sharp wit. Starting with Bird World, Grindr and My Little Pony , the book also deals with social issues from homelessness to homophobia . For Reckless Paper Birds , John McCullough received the Hawthornden Prize, which is extremely prestigious due to his hurdles and political independence, in July 2020 .

Works (selection)

  • Unplugged at Café Atlantic , 2004
  • The Frost Fairs , 2011
  • Spacecraft , 2016
  • Reckless Paper Birds , 2019

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Biography John McCullough Poetry International Archives, accessed July 26, 2020.
  2. ↑ Self-reported John McCullough Homepage John McCullough, accessed on July 26, 2020.
  3. ^ Biography John McCullough Poetry International Archives, accessed July 26, 2020.
  4. ↑ Synopsis: The Frost Fairs Salt Publishing, accessed July 26, 2020.
  5. ↑ From barboy to Bard Gscene Magazine, accessed July 26, 2020.
  6. ↑ Spacecraft Penned in the Margins review , accessed July 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ Reckless Paper Birds The Guardian Bookshop review , accessed July 26, 2020.
  8. ↑ John McCullough wins the 2020 Hawthornden Prize for Literature Penned in the Margins, accessed July 26, 2020.
personal data
SURNAME McCullough, John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British writer
DATE OF BIRTH 1978
PLACE OF BIRTH Watford