Roger McGough

Poet / Author / Performer

Add to shortlist

Books

Associate Agent : Olivia Martin

Film, TV & Theatre

Associate Agent : Olivia Martin

Presenting

Associate Agent : Olivia Martin

Voiceover

Assistant: Amber Hill
Associate Agent: Jennifer Karniely

Books

Roger McGough CBE FRSL

 

Born in Liverpool, Roger McGough is the author of over a hundred books of poetry for both adults and children as well as editing numerous anthologies.

During the sixties he was part of The Scaffold, whose song 'Lily the Pink' was a hit worldwide, and the ground-breaking collection 'The Mersey Sound' (with Brian Patten and the late Adrian Henri) which has sold over one million copies, has been republished in the Penguin Modern Classic series. The winner of two Baftas for his film work and a Royal Television Society award, he helped write the script for The Yellow Submarine animation film.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he is an Honorary Professor of Thames Valley University, and a Fellow of John Moores University, Liverpool. He has been awarded D.Litts from the universities of Hull, Liverpool, Nottingham, Roehampton and the Open University.

He was made a Freeman of the City of Liverpool in 2001, and received a CBE from the Queen in 2004 for services to literature. He is President of the Poetry Society and currently presents Poetry Please on BBC Radio 4.

Poetry

Publication DetailsNotes

THE COLLECTED POEMS: 1959-2024

2024

Viking

'The patron saint of poetry' - Carol Ann Duffy

For sixty years, Roger McGough has thrilled and delighted generations of readers with his irreverent, intimate and ever-original poetry. The Collected Poems presents the definitive selection of his very best work, from the Mersey-soaked sound of his quintessential Sixties start, through to tender meditations on fatherhood and family, and on to political sendups, pandemic playfulness and brilliant new writing. Here, then, is an unmatched store of warmth, wisdom and feeling from Britain's most beloved poet.

'McGough has done for poetry what champagne does for weddings' - Time Out

SAFETY IN NUMBERS

2021

Viking

'This is not the time for adultery.
Your lover will fail to be impressed,
not so much by the face mask
and stale musk of sanitizing gel,
but your flouting of the rules.'

At once funny and moving, Safety in Numbers is the new collection from the nation's favourite poet. Traversing new yet timeless terrain with his signature wit and intimacy, Roger McGough brings to life the very strangeness of our times

From lost tongues and violins to rising oceans, from adulterers in lockdown to ghosts in line, we may live in dark times and yet find ourselves laughing. From surprising angles and with unexpected voices, McGough, 'a trickster you can trust', reveals the telling moments of our lives.
_______________

PRAISE FOR ROGER MCGOUGH

'A witty and ingenious chronicler of British life with a deftness and agility that is hard to beat' Poetry Society

'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann Duffy

'McGough has done for poetry what champagne does for weddings' Time Out

JOINEDUPWRITING

2019

Penguin

For more than fifty years, Roger McGough has entranced generations of readers with poetry which is at once playful and poignant, intimate and ambitious in its scope. Joinedupwriting delivers on all the wry observation, warmth and subtle heartache that readers have come to expect from his collections.

From forgotten friendships to the idiosyncrasies of family life, to the trauma of war right through to contemporary global politics - these poems explore the human experience in all its shades of light and dark, but always with McGough's signature wit, irreverence and vivacity. This is the nation's favourite poet at his very finest.

'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann Duffy

IT NEVER RAINS

2014

PENGUIN

It Never Rains by Roger McGough - an expanded edition of comic verse and free line drawings, from the nation's favourite poet.

'Oxford Blues' is one of the many new poems in this expanded and revised edition of The State of Poetry, Roger McGough's book of short humorous verse which was published in 2005 as part of Penguin's 70s series celebrating its 70th anniversary. From a poem commissioned to commemorate Dylan Thomas in just 140 characters, which unfortunately comes to an end mid-word, to a pre-emptive erratum notice, these poems show McGough at his inventive, hilarious best - and there are also new line drawings by the author offered at no extra cost.

AS FAR AS I KNOW

2013

PENGUIN

Roger McGough's new book of poems shows him writing as fluently and inventively as ever. There may be a stronger strain of melancholy than before (the death of a regular in the local pub; the news that a daughter might be moving abroad), as well as a distinct sense of menace, small but insistent, which inhabits many of the poems. But there is plenty of McGough's characteristic wit and wordplay too, including a scintillating series of haiku inspired by a London tube strike and a striking reworking of his famous 1960s poem 'Let Me Die a Youngman's Death', this time entitled 'Not For Me a Youngman's Death'. Who but McGough would characterize the butcher's window as 'the friendly face of the abattoir', or imagine the almost limitless ways in which we might go to bed?

A new book of poems by Roger McGough is always an event. Published just ahead of his 75th birthday, As Far As I Know is truly cause for celebration.

THAT AWKWARD AGE

2009

Penguin

THE MERSEY SOUND

2007

Penguin

First published in 1967, The Mersey Sound has sold over half a million copies, making it the bestselling poetry anthology of all time.

SELECTED POEMS

2006

Penguin

THE COLLECTED POEMS

2003

Penguin

Collected for the first time in one volume, McGough`s poems remain as potent as they ever were.

EVERYDAY ECLIPSES

2002

Viking (Penguin)

THE WAY THINGS ARE

1999

Penguin

DEFYING GRAVITY

1993

Penguin

YOU AT THE BACK: SELECTED POEMS 1967-1987

1992

Cape

SELECTED POEMS 1967-1987

1989

Cape

WORRY

1987

Toni Savage

MELTING INTO THE FOREGROUND

1986

Viking

WAVING AT TRAINS

1982

Cape

HOLIDAY ON DEATH ROW

1979

Cape

SUMMER WITH MONIKA

1978

Whizzard Press

Republished Penguin 2017

IN THE GLASSROOM

1976

Cape

GIG

1973

Cape

OUT OF SEQUENCE

1972

Turret Books

AFTER THE MERRYMAKING

1970

Cape

WATCHWORDS

1968

Cape

Children's

Publication DetailsNotes

HAPPY POEMS

2018

Macmillan Children's Books

Poems to make you smile! Critically acclaimed poet Roger McGough has drawn together a fantastic collection of upbeat poems to bring happiness into your day with this uplifting collection Happy Poems.

He reminds us that happiness can be found all around us in the everyday, in family, in books in nature and, of course, in our pets! Includes gems from the very best classic and contemporary poets, such as John Agard, Adrian Henri, Brian Patten, Carol Ann Duffy, Joseph Coelho, William Wordsworth and William Blake.

SLAPSTICK

2008

Puffin

THE MONSTERS' GUIDE TO CHOOSING A PET

2005

Puffin

DOTTY INVENTIONS

2005

Frances Lincoln

ALL THE BEST

2004

Puffin

THE BEE'S KNEES

2003

Puffin

WHAT ON EARTH CAN IT BE?

2003

Viking (Penguin)

MOONTHIEF

2002

Kingfisher

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT

2002

Puffin

BAD BAD CATS

1997

Penguin

PILLOW TALK

1992

Non-Fiction

Publication DetailsNotes

SAID AND DONE

2005

Random House

Other

Publication DetailsNotes

THE HYPOCHONDRIAC (Moliere)

2009

Methuen Drama

New adaptation of Moliere's THE HYPOCHONDRIAC

TARTUFFE (Moliere)

2008

Methuen

New adaptation of TARTUFFE by Moliere

Film, TV & Theatre

Roger is also a celebrated author (see separate CV).
Born in Liverpool, Roger McGough is the author of over fifty books of poetry for both adults and children, as well as editing numerous anthologies.
During the sixties he was part of The Scaffold, whose song 'Lily the Pink' was a hit worldwide, and the ground-breaking collection 'The Mersey Sound' (with Brian Patten and the late Adrian Henri) has recently been republished in the Penguin Modern Classic series.
The winner of two Baftas for his film work and a Royal Television Society award, he helped write the script for The Yellow Submarine animation film. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he has a Cholmondeley award and is twice winner of both the Signal and CLPE Awards for the best book of poetry for children. He is an Honorary Professor of Thames Valley University and a Fellow of John Moores University, Liverpool.
He was made a Freeman of the City of Liverpool in 2001, and received a CBE from the Queen in 2004 for services to literature. Currently he presents Poetry Please on BBC Radio 4 and lives in Barnes, south-west London with his wife and two of his four children.

Awards:
Fellow of John Moores University, Liverpool
1999 Cholmendelay Award
1999 Signal Award - Bad, Bad Cats (Puffin)
1998 Honorary M.A. - Nene College of Further Education
1997 O.B.E. - Awarded for services to poetry
1993 Honorary Professor - Thames Valley University
1993 BAFTA for The Elements, science film
1986 'Tony' nomination for lyrics of Wind in the Willows, produced on Broadway
1985 BAFTA for Childrens film: Kurt, Mungo, B.P. and Me
1984 Signal Award for Children's poetry

Radio

ProductionCompanyNotes

POETRY PLEASE

2009

BBC Radio 4

SOUNDING OFF WITH McGOUGH

2000

BBC Radio 4

SUMMER WITH MONIKA

1998

BBC Radio 4

DESERT ISLAND DISCS

1998

BBC Radio 4

F.X. '30 MINUTE THEATRE'

1989

BBC Radio 4

THE NARRATOR and SCENES FROM THE POET'S LIFE

1983

BBC Radio 4

WALKING THE DOG

1981

BBC Radio 4

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

BBC Radio 4

DOWN YOUR WAY, AMERICAN BEAUTY

BBC Radio 4

HOME TRUTHS

BBC Radio 4

Television

ProductionCompanyNotes

THE METHUSELAH TREE

2000

Windfall Films

NICE TO BE HERE

1998

Varga TVC

THE HAPPY PRINCE

1996

Carlton

THE ELEMENTS

1991

Channel 4/Windfall Films

THE MOUTH TRAP

1991

Granada TV

THE ADVENTURES OF PETER RABBIT

1990

TVC

THE CROCODILE IN THE CITY

1990

Channel 4

PICTURE BOX

1990

Granada TV

HERE ARE THE POEMS

1985

KURT, MUNGO, B.P. AND ME

1984

Thames TV

LIFESWAPPERS

1976

Thames TV

FOCUS

1976

BBC's Further Education Series

SATURDAY WHILE SUNDAY

1967

ABC TV

THE 11th HOUR

1967

BBC TV

GAZETTE

1964

ABC TV

THE YELLOW SUBMARINE

TVC

HOPE STREET GLORY

FAST FORWARD

Thames TV

EMPTY HOUSES

Theatre

ProductionCompanyNotes

THE HYPOCHONDRIAC (Adapted from Moliere)

2009

Liverpool Everyman Theatre

TARTUFFE (adapted from Moliere)

2008

Liverpool Everyman Theatre / Rose Theatre, Kingston

MY DAD'S A FIRE EATER

2000

Devon Schools

THE SOUND COLLECTOR

1997

Quicksilver Theatre Co

FALLING ANGELS

1997

Tour of India, Autumn

WAVING THE TIDE

1989

Edinburgh, December

A MATTER OF CHANCE

1988

Edinburgh Festival

WIND IN THE WILLOWS

1984

Washington DC / Broadway

THE MOUTHTRAP

1982

Edinburgh Festival

LIFESWAPPERS

1980

Edinburgh Festival

WATCHWORDS

1980

Nottingham Playhouse

ALL THE TRIMMINGS

1980

Hammersmith, Lyric Theatre

SUMMER WITH MONIKA

1979

Hammersmith, Lyric Theatre

GOLDEN NIGHTS AND GOLDEN DAYS

1979

Nottingham Playhouse

WORLD PLAY

1978

Edinburgh

STUFF

1969

London

THE PUNY LITTLE LIFE SHOW

1968

London

THE COMMISSION

1967

Liverpool

THE CHAUFFEUR-DRIVEN ROLLS

1966

Liverpool

BIRDS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS

1964

London

THE GREAT SMILE

ANOTHER CUSTARD PIE

THE SOLDIER'S TALE

Presenting

Radio

Production / CharacterDirectorCompany

POETRY PLEASE

Writer / Presenter

BBC Radio 4

Television

Production / CharacterDirectorCompany

FRIDAY NIGHT HIJACK

Guest Presenter

Sky Arts