John Birtwhistle

John Birtwhistle (born 1946) is an English poet whose libretto for David Blake’s opera The Plumber’s Gift (1989) was staged by English National Opera at the London Coliseum and broadcast on Radio 3.

John Birtwhistle
Born
John Birtwhistle

(1946-06-28)28 June 1946
Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England

Career

Birtwhistle, a "master craftsman",[1] won an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors in 1975.[2] His poetry was also recognized by an Arts Council bursary, an Arts Council creative writing fellowship (1976–78), a writing fellowship at the University of Southampton (1978–80) and a Poetry Book Society recommendation for Our Worst Suspicions (1985).

He has had three concert libretti set and performed. Some of Birtwhistle's early poems were translated by Ștefan Augustin Doinaș and published in Romanian.[3] His 1996 libretto for The Fabulous Adventures of Alexander the Great by composer David Blake was translated into Greek.[4]

Birtwhistle also contributed "Occasion of the essay", a digital introduction to John Clare's essay "Popularity in Authorship" and has helped with the poetry page of a BMJ journal.

From 1980, Birtwhistle was a lecturer in English at the University of York.[5] Since 1992 he has lived in Sheffield with his wife, son and daughter.[6]

Bibliography
  • The Conversion to Oil of the Lots Road London Transport Power Station, and Other Poems (London: Anvil Press Poetry in association with Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1972) ISBN 0-900977-36-1
  • Vision of Wat Tyler (With etchings and calligraphy by Graham Clarke. Boughton Monchelsea, Kent: Ebenezer Press, 1972) ISBN 0950235709
  • Haysaving: a Connemara Journal (Maidstone/Boughton Monchelsea, Kent: Trembling Hand Press/Ebenezer Press, 1975) ISBN 0-905038-00-2
  • Tidal Models (London: Anvil Press Poetry in association with Rex Collings, 1980) ISBN 0-85646-052-4[7]
  • Our Worst Suspicions (London: Anvil Press Poetry, 1985) ISBN 0-85646-131-8.
  • The Plumber's Gift. Opera in Two Acts (Libretto for music by David Blake. London: Novello, 1988)
  • A Selection of Poems (London: Anvil Press Poetry, 1989) ISBN 0-85646-215-2
  • The Griffin's Tale. Legend for Baritone and Orchestra (Libretto for music by David Blake. York: University of York Music Press, 1994) ISMN M570200771
  • The Fabulous Adventures of Alexander the Great (Libretto for music by David Blake. York: University of York Music Press, 1996) ISMN 570200733
  • Rings of Jade. Poems from the Prison Diaries of Ho Chi Minh (Song cycle for music for medium voice and orchestra by David Blake. York: University of York Music Press, 2005) ISMN M570208357
  • A Swallow (Song for soprano set by David Blake. York: University of York Music Press, 2008) ISMN M570360437
  • Eventualities (London: Anvil Press Poetry, 2013) ISBN 978-0-85646-451-5

References
  1. Hughes, Ian: Review of "Tidal Models", Poetry Review.
  2. "The Eric Gregory Trust Fund Awards: Past Winners". Society of Authors. Archived from the original on 2016-09-08.
  3. Introductory note in Haysaving (1975).
  4. "David Blake" (PDF). University of York Music Press. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-28.
  5. Publisher's biography Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  6. "John Birtwhistle". Anvil Press Poetry. Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  7. Welsh Arts Council, Poetry Wales, Volume 18, 1983, p. 41
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.