Ian McMillan (poet)

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Ian McMillan
Born January 21, 1956 (1956-01-21) (age 52)
Darfield, Barnsley, Yorkshire
Occupation poet, journalist, playwright, broadcaster
Nationality British
Writing period 1980–present
Official website
Literature portal
For the former Scottish footballer, see Ian McMillan (footballer).

Ian McMillan (born January 21, 1956 in Darfield, Barnsley, Yorkshire[1]) is a British poet, journalist, playwright and broadcaster who has continued to live in Darfield.[2]

McMillan graduated from North Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1978. He started performing on the live poetry circuit in the 1970s. As a child he played the Drums. He has had several volumes of poetry published for both adults and children. He is an enthusiastic advocate of poetry. In addition he has had journalism published in Q magazine, Mojo magazine and writes a weekly column in his home town's local newspaper, The Barnsley Chronicle''. He has the unique honour of being the first poet in residence to a football club, his hometown Barnsley FC.

Most recently his play Sister Josephine Kicks the Habit, based on the work of fellow Yorkshireman Jake Thackray premiered in 2005.

Contents

[edit] TV and radio work

McMillan hosts the weekly show The Verb and Proms variation Adverb on BBC Radio 3, "dedicated to investigating spoken words around the globe". According to the Radio Times, he is the 22nd Most Powerful Person in Radio. He is also a regular roving contributor to BBC Radio 4 Today Programme where he was Election Laureate.

During January 2007, he presented a BBC Radio 3 series on the art of writing, Ian McMillan's Writing Lab, talking to a range of writers including Julian Barnes, Mark Ravenhill, Howard Jacobson and Michael Rosen

McMillan is a regular guest on Newsnight Review, The Mark Radcliffe Show, The Today Programme, You & Yours, The Culture Show, Never Mind The Full Stops… and Have I Got News For You?. He narrates "The Museum" on BBC 2 on Thursdays and has also been the voice behind adverts for Persil and Oats so simple.

[edit] Poetry competitions

Ian has also taken part in competitions. In December 2006, McMillan judged the "Central Trains Poetry Competition" and the winners, from the Royal Grammar School Worcester, were awarded with a signed copy of his poem "Take me on a Christmas Trip on Central Trains" at Birmingham Snow Hill Station. [3] [4] [5]

[edit] GNER Mallard HST

On the 27th of February 2007, McMillan wrote a poem for the launch of the new GNER refurbished Mallard InterCity 225 fleet.

[edit] Yorkshire dialect work

In 2007, McMillan published a book named "Collins Chelp and Chunter: a Guide to the Tyke Tongue". This was a compilation of words that are used in the Yorkshire dialect as well as a few pieces of Yorkshire humour and illustrations. Many words are pinned down to specific areas of Yorkshire, or to specific towns or villages; one word is even ascribed to Grange Moor - a small village between Barnsley and Huddersfield.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Ian McMillan", Peter Forbes, British Council, 2002
  2. ^ "Ian McMillan - The South Bank Show", ITV, 15 July 2007
  3. ^ See picture top left
  4. ^ See picture top right
  5. ^ News

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME McMillan, Ian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION poet, journalist, playwright, broadcaster
DATE OF BIRTH 21 January 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH Darfield, Barnsley, UK
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH