John Irving Clarke
Poet, writer, workshop leader, speaker
Bio: John Irving Clarke
was born and brought up in Carlisle. After obtaining a degree in English and community Studies from Leeds University and a Post-Graduate teaching qualification from St Martin’s College, Lancaster he began a teaching career which took him from Hertfordshire and Nottinghamshire to Yorkshire where he returned to Leeds University to take an M.A. in English Studies in Education.
For an enjoyable period he tutored creative writing courses for the Workers Education Association but he now operates independently. Throughout his career he has promoted the role of the teacher as writer, very often modelling at the front of the class. Accordingly, he has spent a lot more time focusing on his own writing and, although he was first published in Raven magazine many years ago, it is these last few years where he has built up the following publication record
Published Short Stories
The Calling of the Whaups – Underdog Press 2023 ISBN: 9798986948904 2023
The Delicate Structure of Bones – Route 57 Sheffield University Creative Writing Journal 2023
Talking to the Birds – Wordspace Anthology Leeds Trinity University 2023
The Whole of the Moon - Shortlisted story, Historical Writers Association Short Story Competition 2022
The Nobleness of Life – Sunderland University Short Story Competition shortlist 2019
Touching the Honey Slow River – Shortlisted, Historical Fiction Short Story Competition 2018
Too Much Peanut Butter – Highly Commended Yeovil Short Story Competition 2018
Waiting Time – South Tyneside Libraries 100 Word exact story competition winner 2017
Into the Driving Rain – Magic Oxygen Short Story Competition winner 2016
Stars Hide Your Fires – Momaya Review 2016
Poppy Jones and the Ding Dong Song - Writers' and Artists' Yearbook Short Story Competition shortlisted entry 2015
Blue Monkey, A Full Moon in Provence - Scribble magazine 2015/2016
Four Score Draws – Nottinghamshire Evening Post Corgi Books Award winner
Padding Up, Goodwill to All Men – Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser
I Was Ready to Fall in Love – Featherstone Short Story Competition Winners’ Anthology
An Honourable Man – Yorkshire Ridings Magazine
Broadcast Short Stories
Pathway to Glory - BBC Radio Sheffield
Party Night - BBC Radio Sheffield
Carrying On - BBC Radio Leeds
Novels
Land of Dreams, CyberWit 2024
Who the Hell is Ricky Bell? Currock Press 2014
Poetry Publications
Magazines: Orbis, Dream Catcher, Butcher’s Dog, Raven, Poetry Monthly, Cutting Teeth, Smith’s Knoll, Retort
The Morning Star This is not the day, August 6th, 2020
Anthologies and Competitions:
Morning Run whilst visiting his Son in Midtown, Atlanta,
Borderlines Poetry Competition runner-up 2019
Digging at Burnside Court, This Place I Know, Handstand Press 2018
Pouring Milk for the Master,
Southport International Poetry Competition runner-up 2017
Helping with Inquiries, Remembering Oluwale, Valley Press 2016
My Feet are Killing Me, One River Many Creeks, Macmillan 2003
Advice to Anyone Sitting in a Hot Car…, Disgusting Poems, Scholastic 2004
Earth Songs, Say It Out Loud, Macmillan, 2007
Last Week of Term and He wants us to Write, The End of the Holidays, Melting Pot,
Visiting Poet, Read Me at School, Macmillan, 2009
BBC Wildlife Poet of the Year runner up 1994
Winner of the Jane Harrison award 2009
Mirehouse Poetry Competition Commended Poet 2010
Tenue in Mezza Luce. Six poems with Italian translations Currock Press 2013
Ondulazioni. Poems in English and Italian with Silvia Pio, Currock Press 2016
August 6th, 1945
This is not the day
glamorous colour
dazzles monochrome truth.
This is not the day
the poet’s fungi
rise to claim the earth.
This is not the day
when white paint outlines
of human forms
will suffice
or tot up
or begin to make sense
of homicide
to the magnesium flash power
of eighty thousand.
This is not the day
when science stands on stage and smirks
as best in class.
Nor is it the day
when we reach out and touch
the fingertips of God.
The eye for an eye has been claimed.
This is not the last time
this will happen.
John Irving Clarke
John Irving Clarke was first published in 1980 in Raven magazine. He has since been published in several other magazines and received laurels of honour in various competitions.
Following a lengthy teaching career John returns to schools now to do readings, talks and writing workshops. In addition to children and students in Years 2 - 13 he has also worked in prisons and with adult reading and writing groups.
His widely praised YA novel, Who the Hell is Ricky Bell? launched in May 2014.
WORKSHOPS OFFERED
- Creative Writing: Enjoy the fun and satisfaction of exploring a range of creative writing styles.
- Poetry Reading and Writing: Take the trepidation out of poetry. These are the words we'll put in the right order and along the way we'll enjoy ourselves.
- Active Shakespeare: Non-threatening dramatic engagements with Shakespeare. Lay on Macduff! Needs some movement space and a good chunk of time. A day? Half a day?
- Scripting: Writers demonstrating a range of creative writing at Key Stage 3, Drama students or anyone interested in producing a radio script will enjoy this workshop. Look at the rhythms of speech, how characters interact in dialogue, the dramatic possibilities of monologues and the power of what is left unsaid. Can be done in an hour, but it is so much better as a half or whole day workshop.
- Developing Confidence through the Spoken Word: This is who I am and this is what I want to say! Speak the words and boost self-esteem.
- Reading and Writing Prose: based on Who the Hell is Ricky Bell? explore the excitement of character and plot development.
All of the above workshops can be dovetailed into existing schemes of work or ongoing curriculum themes. They are tailored according to age and ability.
Why not contact John to discuss particular requirements?
“The children really enjoyed this afternoon…they love it that they have a poem to take away.” Castle Grove Infant school, Wakefield.
“Excellent. Our students enjoyed their day of poetry.” Farnley Park Academy, Leeds.
“It was fantastic. John showed us how to describe things in different ways – that was really good. We had a laugh.” Rotherham Women’s Refuge.
Email with inquiries about availability: [email protected]
Cumberland News Friday 4th July, 2014
Publications
Fiction (novels)
Fiction (short stories)
Winner of the Jane Harrison award 2009
Mirehouse Poetry Competition Commended Poet 2010
Fiction (novels)
- Land of Dreams, Cyberwit.net 2024
- Who the Hell is Ricky Bell? Currock Press 2014
Fiction (short stories)
- Touching the Honey Slow River - Highly Commended, Fate, Hammond House Publishing Short Story Competition. 2024
- Stars Hide Your Fires - Momaya Short Story Review 2016
- Into the Driving Rain - Magic Oxygen Short Story Competition first prize, 2016
- Poppy Jones and the Ding Dong Song - Writers' and Artists' Yearbook Short Story Competition shortlisted entry
- Blue Monkey - Scribble magazine
- Four Score Draws – Nottinghamshire Evening Post Corgi Books Award winner
- Padding Up, Goodwill to All Men – Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser
- I Was Ready to Fall in Love – Featherstone Short Story Competition Winners’ Anthology
- An Honourable Man – Yorkshire Ridings Magazine
- Pathway to Glory - BBC Radio Sheffield
- Party Night - BBC Radio Sheffield
- Carrying On - BBC Radio Leeds
- Poets in Schools: A Teacher’s report, B.P. Teachers’ Poetry Resource File, The Poetry Society
- Rules Kill the Write Stuff, The Times Educational Supplement 22.12.00
- Thank God it’s Friday, T.E.S. 20.04.00.
- How I Learned to Love the Literacy Strategy. T.E.S. 1.03.02.
- Where Angels Fear to Tread, T.E.S. 1.03.02.
- A Persuasive Mix of Morals and Marigolds, T.E.S. 04.06.04.
- A Tale of Two Stories, T.E.S. 10.12.04.
- It’s Not the Clothes but the Way You Wear Them. T.E.S. 27.5.05.
- Just Go Where Your Consciences Take You, T.E.S. 6.1.06.
- What Keeps Me Awake at Night, T.E.S. 2.12.11.
- Guided Reading Pack on Janni Howker’s, The Nature of the Beast
The National Association for the Teaching of English - Pink Knickers to a Crash Course in Grief, Teachers as Writers
An English Space Learning Trail for the Training and Development Agency Website www.englishspace.org - Between the Lines: A New way of Approaching the Unseen Poem. Teach Secondary Issue 26
- Orbis
- Dream Catcher
- Raven,
- Poetry Monthly,
- Cutting Teeth,
- Smith’s Knoll,
- Retort
- Digging at Burnside Court, This Place I Know: A New Anthology of Cumbrian Poetry, Handstand Press, 2018
- Solstice, Wolverhampton Literature Festival Poetry Competition short-listed entry 2018
- Helping with Inquiries, included in the Remembering Oluwale anthology, Valley Press 2016
- Pouring the Master's Milk, Southport International Poetry competition, runner-up 2016
- Listening to Owls on Christmas Eve, Meniscus (Canberra University Creative Writing magazine)
- My Feet are Killing Me, One River Many Creeks, Macmillan 2003
- Advice to Anyone Sitting in a Hot Car, Scholastic 2004
- Earth Songs, Say It Out Loud, Macmillan, 2007
- Last Week of Term and He wants us to Write, The End of the Holidays, Melting Pot, Visiting Poet, Read Me at School,
Macmillan, 2009
Winner of the Jane Harrison award 2009
Mirehouse Poetry Competition Commended Poet 2010
