John Lyons

He has published five collections of poetry, including Dancing in the Rain (shortlisted for the prestigious CLPE (CLiPPA) Award) and a cookery book, Cook-up in a Trini Kitchen. A contributor to numerous anthologies, John Lyons has read on radio, television and at many national and international festivals. Check out lots of video of John reading his poems and free teaching resources from the National Poetry Centre for Primary Schools here

Read more about John’s work here.

Literary CV

Windrush Award Winner, Arts Achiever of the Year 2003
was Co-Founder and Trustee: Hourglass Educational Arts Development Services: HEADS 2000 - 2010

Professional membership:
The Poetry Archive
The Poetry Society
Poetry Library
National Association of Writers in Education
The Society of Authors
Member of EAW (East Anglian Writers)

Professional positions:

2010 - Adjudicator Cambreidge Writers Short Story competition
2002 - External Examiner M.Phil, Anglia Polytechnic University
2000 - Adjudicator Co-operative Insurance Christmas card competition
1998 - Adjudicator Conwy Festival Poetry Competition.
1996 - Member of the Board of Directors, Signature Book Presentation Ltd.
1994 - Member of Management Committee for the Arvon Foundation at Lumb Bank
1994 - Review writer for SCRIPT the Poetry Society Critical Service
1992 - Adjudicator for the Lancaster Festival Poetry Competition
1991/8 - Part-time tutor for creative writing Combined Studies. BA Hons , Bolton Inst. of Higher Education
1991 - Adjudicator, Southern Arts Poetry Prize
1989 - Co-editor, Northern Poetry, Littlewood Press

Poetry readings:

One hundred and sixty readings since 1985. The following is a small selection:
2015 - The Saison Poetry Library, Royal Festival Hall London
2015 - The spirit of Carnival, Upper Gallery, The Plough Shepreth
2014 - The Bishop Residence, Ely
2012 - Oxfam reading with Myra schneider, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University
2012 - Black History Month, Apex Gallery, Bury St Edmunds
2012 - Hommerton College, Cambridge University, John Agard and Friensds, Caribbean Poetry Conference
2012 - British Library, 'Whoop & Shout' with Val Bloom
2012 - The Tricycle Theatre, London, 50th anniversary of Trinidad & Tobago Independence
2012 - Guest Reader, Manky Poets, Manchester
2011 - Poetry in Palmers Green, London
2011 - Punters Cambridge, fund raising for Jimmy Shelter, Cambridge
2011 - Hot Numbers Jazz Cafe with Josh Ison, saxophonist
2010 - Manchester Literature Festival, book launch, 'Red'
2010 - Moving Manchester, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
2010 - CB1 Poetry , Cambridge with Mario Petrucci, Michaelhouse, Cambridge
2010 - Book Launch, 'Cook-Up in a Trini Kitchen, Trinidad & Tobago High Commission, London
2010 - British Museum, celebrating the Akan Drum with Jean Binta Breeze
2010 - Williams Art Gallery, Cambridge
2010 - Sheffield Food Festival, reaeding from 'Cook-Up in a Trini Kitchen'
2010 - Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, West Yorkshire
2009 - Babylon Gallery, Ely, National Poetry Day
2009 - Ely Library, 'No Apples in Eden' book launch with John Killick
2009 - Babylon Gallery, Ely, National Poetry Day
2007 - Maritime Museum in Greenwich with John Agard and Grace Nichols
2007 - Babylon Gallery, Ely with Andre Mangeot
2005 - Diarama Arts Centre, London
2005 - Three Cups Gallery, Ely
2004 - West Indian Centre, Manchester
2003 - Square Chapel, Halifax, West Yorkshire, Black History Month
2003 - Pennine Ink, Todmorden , West Yorkshire
2002 - Owl Book Shop, London: Launch: Moving Voices
2002 - Launch of new book: Hourglass Studio Gallery
2002 - Todmorden Pennine Ink: Poetry Reading
2002 - Manchester Central Library: Commonwealth Programme
2002 - The Albert Poets, Huddersfield
2001 - West Indian Centre, Manchester
2001 - BBC Greater Manchester Radio
2001 - Java Lounge, Hebden Bridge
2000 - Theatre Ardudwy, Harlech
2000 - Contact Theatre, Manchester
1999 - Project One o One
1998 - Linton Court Gallery
1997 - Ty Newydd, Wales
1997 - Southport Art Centre
1997 - Wrexham Art Centre
1996 - King of Hearts, Norwich
1995 - Aldeburgh Festival
1995 - Llangollen Library, Wales
1994 - Poets Give a Hand, The Royal Horticultural Hall, London
1994 - Manchester Poetry Festival
1994 - Cuirt Festival of Literature, Galway, Rep. of Ireland
1994 - Out of The Margins, Royal Festival Hall, South Bank with John Agard, Jean Bintabreez, Archie Markam
1993 - Wincham Hall, Northwich
1992 - The Lancaster Festival
1991 - Royal Court Theatre, London
1991 - Ty Newydd Centre, Wales
1990 - International Festival of Writing, Glasgow with James Berry

Conferences:

2012 Narrating The Caribbean Nation, Peepal Tree Press, Leeds Metropolitan University
Title of Paper given: Caribbean Literature, Orature and The Visual Arts 

2012 Caribbean Poetry Project, Homerton College, Faculty of Education, Cambridge University
Title of paper given: Approaches to teaching Caribbean Poetry

Creative Writing Tutor at Residences and workshops:

One hundred and forty-six workshops/residencies from 1986. The following is a selection:

2012 - Creative Writing Workshop, poetry/prose, Ely Library
2011 - Creative Writing Workshop, poetry/prose, Ely Library
2010 - Peterborough Poetry Group, workshop on performance poetry
2010 - Vital Communities Project, Sutton Primary School
2009 - Arvon Foundation at Lumb Bank co-tutoring with Roselle Angwin
2007 - Babylon Gallery co-tutoring with Andre Mangeot
2007 - Cambridge Caribbean Asociation, Cambridge
2006 - Arvon Foundation at Lumb Bank, co-tutoring with Linda France
2006 - poetry workshop, co-tutoring with Doris Corti, Babylon Gallery, Ely
2005 - Sable / Arvon Poetry Master Class, Totleigh Barton, Devon.
2003 - The Big Book Project, Hereford Primary & Junior schools
2002 - Todmorden High School: Creative writing workshops
2002 - Institute of Education, London
2001 - Stretford High School, Manchester
2000 - Tate Gallery, Liverpool
2000 - Arvon tutor at Lumb Bank, Hebden Bridge
1998 - Artranspennine 98, Tate Liverpool and Storey Institute Gallery, Lancaster.
1998 - 'Heart', Oldham Art Gallery.
1998 - Art Under The Microscope. Creative writing and visual art workshop, Storey Inst. Gallery Lancaster.
1998 - Bryn Collen Primary, LLangollen
1998 - TyNewydd (Welsh Arts Council Writing Centre)
1998 - Millane Primary School, Oxford.
1997 - Ty Newydd (Welsh Arts Council Writing Centre)
1997 - The Arvon Foundation at Lumb Bank. A Course for writers of Caribbean, African and Asian origin.
1997 - Fallibroome High School
1997 - Manchester University, with post-graduate students
1996 - Arvon tutor at Lumb Bank, poetry writing
1995 - Feb-July: Writer in Residence, The Dee valley, Wales
1995 - Arvon tutor at Lumb Bank, poetry writing
1994 - Writer in Residence, Rawthorpe Infants and Junior Schools, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
1994 - Arvon tutor at Lumb Bank, poetry writing
1994 - Metropolitan University, Crew and Alsager campus
1993 - Poets in Schools with the IRIE DANCE CO. The Blackie, Liverpool
1992 - Arvon tutor at Totleigh Barton, Devon
1991 - Writer in Residence, Ingleborough Festival
1991 - Arvon tutor Lumb Bank

Radio broadcasts:
2015 - Interview with Cane Arrow Press, Cambridge Radio 105, Book Mark
2014 - Cambridge Radio 105, Book Mark
2003 - The Verb, Radio 3
2001 - GMR Peoples' Programme: Blacture Culture Month
1998 - GMR interview and poems celebrating WinndRush
1997 - Radio 4, 'Poetry Bang'
1997 - The Peoples' Programme
1996 - Kaleidoscope (book review) Radio 4
1995 - Radio Wales Today
1994 - GMR Manchester Poets
1994 - RTE Dublin (during Cuirt Festival of Literature, Galway
1991 - Kaleidoscope Radio 4
1990 - BBC World Service
1989 - Kaleidoscope Radio 4

Television appearances;

1998 - BBC Learning Zone, The WindRush Series
1995 - BBC Wales
1995 - Granada News featuring Chester and the Dee Valley Project (during my Writer in Residence, The Dee Valley)
1995 - LUSH LIFE, Granada Television. A film celebrating Black artists in the North of England
1990 - THE NEW, Granada Television. An arts magazine programme
1989 - BOX OFFICE, Channel 4

Prizes and awards:

2003 - WindRush Arts Achiever Award
1991 - Peterloo Poets Afro-Caribbean, Asian Poetry Prize
1991 - Arts Council Literary Award (for Lure of the Cascadura)
1988 - Equal second prize shared with Jackie Kay, Peterloo Afro-Caribbean, Asian Poetry Prize (prize was split that year)
1987 - Second prize, Cultureword Poetry Competition
1987 - Peterloo Poets Afro-Caribbean, Asian Poetry Prize
1987 - Commended, National Poetry Competition for 'Ham Bone and Tidal Waves'
1987 - Highly commended, Peterloo Poets Poetry Competition for 'Skin, Skin is me, Yuh Na Know Meh'

Publications:

Twenty-nine publications from 1987. They include works published in anthologies, magazines and six full collections. Please see the full list under publications
The following is a selection:
2015 - A Carib Being in Cymru
2012 - Out of Bounds, Bloodaxe Books, Editors Jackie Kay, James Procter and Gemma Robinson
2011 - Not Only the Dark, Categorical Books, editor Vicky Wilson
2010 - Writing Your Self, publisher Continuum, Editors John Killick and Myra Schneider
2010 - Did I Tell You, Categorical Books, Editors Niki Gould and Vicky Wilson
2010 - Red, Peepal Tree Press Ltd, editor Kwame Dawes
2009 - Cook-up In A Trini Kitchen, Peepal Tree Press, 23 poems on food and 151 Caribbean recipes
2009 - No Apples In Eden, New and Selected Poems, Smith/Doorstop Books
2006 - Hair, Suitcase Books
2005 - Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse, Oxford University Press, editors Stewart Brown and Mark McWatt
2002 - Moving Voices - Hansib Publications
2002 - Voices from a Silk Cotton Tree, full collection - Smith Doorstop Books
2001 - Poems Then and Now, compiled by Fiona Waters - Evans Bros Ltd
2001 - On a Camel To The Moon, compiled by Valerie Bloom - Belitha Press
2000 - IC3 Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain - Hamish Hamilton
2000 - Hello New, an anthology of poems for children - Smith/Doorstop
1999 - Aldeburfh Poeetry Festival Anthology 1989 - 1998
1994 - A Caribbean Dozen, an anthology of poems for children - Walker Books
1994 - Behind The Carnival full collection - Smith / Doorstop Books
1991 - The Sun Rises in The North, a collection of four poets - Smith/Doorstop Books
1989 - Lure of The Cascadura full collection - Bogle L'Ouverture Publications Ltd.
1988 - The New Brirish Poetry