Wright, Kit

(1944)

   Born in Kent (he now lives in London), he studied English at New College, Oxford, then taught in a South London comprehensive school. From 1967 to 1970 he taught English at Brock University, Ontario, Canada, then worked for the Poetry Society (England) as education officer until he became a freelance writer in 1975. From 1977 to 1980 he was creative writing Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was one of the first poets to make regular trips into schools and is one of the most acclaimed and adored of poets for children. Although best known for his comic verse, he is not limited to this genre. Among his awards and prizes are: Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, 1978; Poetry Society Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize, 1978; Arts Council Bursary, 1985. Some of his children's publications: Arthur's Father, 1978. Arthur's Granny, 1978. Arthur's Sister, 1978. Arthur's Uncle, 1978. Poems for Ten Year Olds and Over, 1984. Poems for Nine Year Olds and Under, 1985. Some of his poems: "Acorn Haiku," "Dad and the Cat and the Tree," "Sergeant Brown's Parrot," "The Bear Looked Over the Mountain," "Victorian Family Photograph."

   Sources: 100 Poems on the Underground. Gerald Benson, Judith Cherniak and Cicely Herb, eds. Cassell, 1991. A Year Full of Poems. Michael Harrison, and Christopher Stuart-Clark, ed. Oxford University Press, 1991. British Council Arts (http://www.contemporarywriters.com). Hoping It Might Be So: Poems, 1974-2000. Kit Wright. Leviathan, 2000. The National Portrait Gallery (www.npg.org.uk). Once Upon a Rhyme: 101 Poems for Young Children. Sara Corrin and Stephen Corrin, eds. Faber and Faber, 1982. Penguin Authors (http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,0_1000051386,00.html). Shades of Green. Anne Harvey, ed. Greenwillow Books, 1991. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The New Exeter Book of Riddles. Kevin Crossley-Holland and Lawrence Sail, eds. Enitharmon Press, 1999. The Oxford Book of Comic Verse. John Gross, ed. Oxford University Press, 1994. The Oxford Companion to English Literature. 6th edition. Margaret Drabble, ed. Oxford University Press, 2000. The Penguin Book of Light Verse. Gavin Ewart, ed. Penguin Books, 1980.