Brian Patten (photo by Hugo Glendinning)

Brian Patten (born 7 February 1946, Liverpool) is a British poet, born in a working-class neighbourhood near the docks. He left school at fifteen, and was hired by a private newspaper called "The Bootle Times" to write a column on popular music. One of his first articles was on Roger McGough and Adrian Henri, who later joined Brian in forming the performance group called the Liverpool poets. The group performed poetry for audiences and also released an anthology called The Mersey Sound, which sold thousands of copies. Image File history File links Patten-watch-3. ... Image File history File links Patten-watch-3. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... Poet is a term applied to a person who composes poetry, including extended forms such as dramatic verse. ... The working class is a social class often contrasted with middle class and upper class in terms of the nature of work undertaken (manual labor or skilled), the level of remuneration (typically low hourly rates although there are exceptions) and access to resources (limited access to capital, education and land). ... A dock is an area of water between two piers or alongside a pier, forming a chamber used for building or repairing one ship. ... Roger McGough OBE (born November 9, 1937) is a well-known British performance poet. ... Adrian Henri (April 10, 1932 – December 21, 2000) was a British poet and painter. ... The Liverpool Poets were a group of influential 1960s poets from Liverpool, heavily influenced by the 1950s Beat poetry. ... The Mersey Sound is an anthology of poems by Liverpudlian poets Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri first published in 1967. ...

Patten received early encouragement from Philip Larkin, and Charles Causley once commented: "[Patten] reveals a sensibility profoundly aware of the ever-present possibility of the magical and the miraculous, as well as of the granite-hard realities. These are undiluted poems, beautifully calculated, informed - even in their darkest moments - with courage and hope." Philip Arthur Larkin (August 9, 1922 – December 2, 1985) was an English poet, novelist and jazz critic. ... Charles Causley (August 24, 1917 – November 4, 2003) was a Cornish poet and writer. ...

Patten's style is generally lyrical and his subjects are primarily love and relationships. His 1981 collection Love Poems draws together his best work in this area from the previous sixteen years. Tribune has described Patten as "the master poet of his genre, taking on the intricacies of love and beauty with a totally new approach, new for him and for contemporary poetry." Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that does not attempt to tell a story, as do epic poetry and dramatic poetry, but is of a more personal nature instead. ... For other uses, see Love (disambiguation). ... An interpersonal relationship is some relationship or connection between two people. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tribune is a democratic socialist weekly, currently a magazine though in the past more often a newspaper, published in London. ...

The collections Storm Damage (1988) and Armada (1996) are however more various, the latter featuring a sequence of poems concerning the death of his mother and memories of his childhood. Armada is perhaps Patten's most mature and formal book, dispensing with much of the playfulness of former work. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII in Roman) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Patten is now regarded as one of Britain's leading contemporary poets, writing extensively for children as well as adults. He is a highly engaging performer, giving readings frequently. Over the years he has read alongside such poets as Pablo Neruda, Allen Ginsberg, Stevie Smith and Robert Lowell. Also acknowledged as one of Europe's foremost poets, his books have in recent years been translated into Italian, Spanish, German and Polish. His children's novel Mr Moon's Last Case won a special award from the Mystery Writers of America Guild. Pablo Neruda as a Presidential candidate in 1970 Pablo Neruda (July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name of the Chilean writer Ricardo Eliecer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto. ... Allen Ginsberg in later life Irwin Allen Ginsberg (IPA: ) (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American Beat poet born in Newark, New Jersey. ... Stevie Smith was a British poet and radio personality (September 20, 1902 - March 7, 1971). ... Robert Lowell Robert Lowell (March 1, 1917–September 12, 1977), born Robert Traill Spence Lowell, Jr. ...

In 2002 Patten accepted the Cholmondeley Award for services to poetry. Together with Roger McGough and the late Adrian Henri, he was honoured with the Freedom of the City of Liverpool. 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cholmondeley Award is given by the Society of Authors for poetry. ... Freedom of the City is an award made by English towns and cities, to esteemed members of its community; such people may then be termed Freemen or Freewomen of the City. ...

Selected bibliography

Poetry for adults:

• [[The Mersey Sou

• Little Johnny's Confession

• Notes to the Hurrying Man

• The Irrelevant Song

• Vanishing Trick

• Grave Gossip

• Love Poems

• Storm Damage

• Grinning Jack (selected poems)

• Armada

Books for children:

• The Elephant and the Flower

• Jumping Mouse

• Emma's Doll

• Gargling With Jelly

• Mr Moon's Last Case

• Jimmy Tag-Along

• Thawing Frozen Frogs

• Juggling With Gerbils

• The Story Giant

Editor:

• The Puffin Book of Utterly Brilliant Poetry

External links

• www.brianpatten.co.uk
• http://www.english-literature.org/essays/patten.html
• http://www.pwf.pragonet.cz/1998/patten.htm
• http://www.catalystmedia.org.uk/issues/nerve5/articles/brian_patten.htm An interview from Liverpool's 'Nerve' magazine
• http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth03C11L021212635163