Mitchell, Adrian

(1932- )

   Born in London, his schooling was interrupted by national service in the Royal Air Force from 1951 to 1952. He graduated with a degree in English from Christ Church College, Oxford, in 1955, then worked as a journalist in Oxford and for several London newspapers and magazines. In 1965 he was involved in the International Festival of Poetry at the Albert Hall, and it was around this time that he emerged as a playwright and poet of substance, writing for adult and children. From his first writers workshop, University of Iowa (1963-1967), he has held fellowships in Britain, America, and Singapore. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Theatre of Poetry, Varna, Bulgaria, and was awarded an honorary doctor of arts, North London University, 1997. Some of his poetry publications: Poems, 1964. For Beauty Douglas, Collected Poems 1953-1979, 1982. Strawberry Drums, 1984. Heart on the Left (Collected Poems 1953-85), 1997. All Shook Up: Poems l9962000, 2000. The Shadow Knows: Poems 2000-2004, 2004. Some of his poems: "A Tourist Guide to England," "Another Prince is Born," "Remember Suez?" "To a Russian Soldier in Prague."

   Sources: Biography and Works of Adrian Mitchell (http://www.rippingyarns.co.uk/adrian/). I Have No Gun But I Can Spit: An Anthology of Satirical and Abusive Verse. Kenneth Baker, ed. Faber and Faber, 1980. 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 Gambit Book of Love Poems. Geoffrey Grigson, ed. Gambit, 1973. The Kingfisher Book of Children's Poetry. Michael Rosen, ed. Kingfisher Books, 1985. The Naked Astronaut: Poems on Birth and Birthdays. Ren Graziani, ed. Faber and Faber, 1983. The New Yorker Book of Poems. The New Yorker editors. Viking Press, 1969. The Oxford Companion to English Literature. 6th edition. Margaret Drabble, ed. Oxford University Press, 2000. Who's Who. London: A & C Black, 2005.