Sprackland, Jean

(1962- )

   Born and brought up in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, she now lives in Southport, Merseyside. After studying English and philosophy at the University of Kent at Canterbury, she taught for a few years before beginning to write poetry at the age of 30. She has held residencies in schools and universities and is a tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She also works in education, training and consultancy for organizations including the Poetry Society and the Poetry Archive. In 2004 she was one of the judges of the Arvon International Poetry Competition. In 2004 she was named by the Poetry Book Society as one of the "Next Generation" poets. Her poetry publications: Tattoos for Mothers Day, 1997 (short listed for the 1998 Forward Poetry Prize, Best First Collection). Hard Water, 2003 (short listed for the 2003 T.S. Eliot Prize and the Whitbread Poetry Award). Some of her poems: "Sewing Fingertips," "Reading Leaves," "Note from the Outside," "No Man's Land" (with a series of photographs by David Walker), "The Hairdresser's Across the Street," "A Baby in the Filing Cabinet," "In the Planetarium."

   Sources: Biography of Jean Sprackland: British Council Arts (http://www.contemporarywriters.com). Hear Jean Sprackland's Poems on CD (http://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/book-template.asp?isbn=190555642X). Sewing Fingers, by Jean Sprackland: The Poetry Book Society (http:// www.poetrybooks.co.uk/PBS/pbs_sprackland_jean.asp). The Works of Jean Sprackland: The Poetry Archive (http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoet.do?poetId=456).