About
Acclaimed English poet, novelist, editor, playwright, and political activist for the British Left. His poetry collections include Ride the Nightmare, The Apeman Cometh, and Heart on the Left.
Before Fame
He began his career as a freelance journalist, writing on such topics as popular music and television. As a poet, he investigated considerably heavier topics, including nuclear war, racism, and the Vietnam War.
Trivia
His poem "Human Beings" was greatly beloved: in the 2005 National Poetry Day poll, it was voted the poem people would most like to see sent into space.
Family Life
His father, Jock, was a research chemist; his mother, Kathleen, was a nursery school teacher.
Associated With
He wrote the play Tyger as a celebration of his favorite poet, William Blake.
