Andrew Philip
Home address:
available on requestTelephone:
01506 670526Email:
contact@andrewphilip.netWebsite:
www.andrewphilip.netBRAW network:
noLL funded:
yesBiography:
I am a poet, translator and blogger, writing in English and Scots. I was born in Aberdeen in 1975 but grew up near Falkirk. I lived in Berlin for a short spell in the 1990s before studying linguistics at Edinburgh University. I now live in Linlithgow and work part-time for the Scottish Parliament as part of the team that creates the official transcript of debates. The Scottish Poetry Library chose me as a “New Voice” in 2006, and the Scottish Arts Council awarded me a New Writer’s Bursary in 2003.
About writer's work:
I have published one book of poems, The Ambulance Box, with Salt Publishing, as well as two poetry pamphlets with HappenStance Press. You can read my blog at http://www.andrewphilip.net/
I strike a fine balance between thinking and feeling in my poetry. It is lyrical, allusive and direct; subtly experimental and unafraid of traditional form. Above all, it is intense, tender, inquisitive writing, alive to the wonder as well as the hurt of the world we inhabit. Loss and discovery are at the heart of my book, The Ambulance Box. I am interested in spiritual and religious topics, as well as national and personal identity and how it plays out in language. I also write about politics, people, places and the environment. I often mix more than one of these concerns into a single poem.
I enjoy collaborative projects with artists in other art forms. For example, I have written a sequence of poems to accompany a themed exhibition by the award-winning Scottish figurative painter David Martin.
About writer's events and projects:
I’m available to work with secondary or primary school children and with adults, including CPD sessions for teachers. I can give readings, lead workshops or run longer projects, any of which can have a Scots language focus. I am passionate about the difference that using Scots in the classroom can make to children’s confidence and am interested in projects with a cross-curricular element.
Here are some of the topics for which I can offer poetry workshops:
•Tales of the Unexpected — how to bring surprise into your poetry; •My Life As … — monologues in the voice of non-human subjects; •The Street Where You Live — writing poems about places; •Beyond Burns — exploring and writing poetry in Scots; •A Deep but Dazzling Darkness — exploring faith and doubt; •A Good Old Story — writing ballads; •Shaping Up — writing shape and concrete poetry; •More Than Just Cherry Blossom — writing haikus and tankas.
These can also form the basis for, or be part of, longer projects. Please note that my availability may be restricted when the Scottish Parliament is sitting. Contact me to discuss your requirements and ideas.
Links to other websites:
http://www.poetcasting.co.ukhttp://www.shorepoets.org.uk
http://www.spring-tides.org/poets/aphilip.html
http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smp/9781844714919.htm
Language:
Scots, EnglishAge groups:
9-12, Teens, AdultsBooks written
At the heart of Andrew Philip’s wide-ranging first collection is a beautiful and deeply moving exploration of loss and discovery. Philip addresses the death of his first child with intense, tender, ...
