John Irving Clarke
Poet, writer, workshop leader, speaker
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
