Quick Facts
Biography
Roger Elkin is an English poet, born in Biddulph, Staffordshire,U K, who has won over 200 prizes and places - 52 firsts - in national and international poetry competitions.
Awards and recognition
- The Lake Aske Memorial Award (1982 & 1987)
- The Douglas Gibson Memorial Award (1986)
- The Sylvia Plath Award for Poems about Women (1986)
- The Hugh MacDiarmid Trophy (2003)
The following poems have been awarded 1st Prize in (inter) national poetry competitions:
1. She Paints, Lake Aske Memorial Award 1982
2. In His Eighty-Eighth Year, Staple Open 1986
3. May Visitations , Douglas Gibson Memorial Award 1986
4. The Ribble At Stainforth, Open University 1986
5. Cordelia in Exile, Sylvia Plath Award, World Order of Narrative Poems 1987
6. Oriental Poppies, Yeats Club Open 1987
7. The Fellowship of Hedges, Envoi Poetry Competition 88 1987
8. French Fireworks, Wansbeck Writers’ Open 1987
9. Moorland Stirks , Lake Aske Memorial Award 1987
10. Blood Brothers , Tees Valley Writer Open 1989
11. Run, run, as fast as you can, Tees Valley Writer Open 1989
12. Flower Talk , Tees Valley Writer Open 1990
13. Eating Game , Swanage Open 1990
14. Inheritance of Coal , Tees Valley Writer Open 1990
15. Stonewalling, Tees Valley Writer Open 1990
16. Ward 4B (Admissions), The Writers’ Rostrum Open 1991
17. Red Admirals, The Trewithen Poetry Prize 1998
18. Dying, she became islanded, boho Open 2004
19. Stick, Ginger, Corduroy…, Scottish International Open 2004
20. At Moments of Kill… , Norwich Writers’ Circle Open 2005
21. Boy Diving , Fakenham Open Poetry 2007
22. Feral Pigeons, Salopian Open 2007
23. Hunter-Gatherer Dan, Quantum Leap 19th Open 2007
24. Ligularia dentata, Segora Open 2007
25. Gran’s Hens , Fosseway Writers’ Open 2008
26. There’s this memory, Leicester Poetry Society Open 2008
27. Blue Hyacinths, Diversity House (Excel for Charity) 2009
28. Strange Harmony , Northampton Writers’ Group 2009
29. His Eightieth , Haddon Library, Cambridge 2009
30. Song Of Woman With Child, Hastings International Open 2009
31. Rambling Peak District , Cannon Poets Open 2009
32. Finding Stones, Segora Open 2009
33. Lucky Break , Fosseway Writers’ 2010
34. Vultures , Theatre Royal Hyde Open 2010
35. Shooting Rhino, Southport Writers’ Circle Open 2011
36. White Phlox, Theatre Royal Hyde Open 2011
37. White Phlox, Tenby Arts Open 2011
38. Fallow Deer, going home, Partners Poetry/Aspire Magazine Open 2011
39. Opening the box, Quantum Leap 28th Open 2012
40. Task Work, Sentinel Literary Quarterly June 2012
41. Zulu Dancing , Earlyworks Open 2012
42. Ferriby Foreshore,, Segora Open 2012
43. James Bateman’s dahlia, Bradford on Avon Open 2012
44. Understanding Dung Beetles, Build Africa Open 2012
45. Fishy Triptych, May Poetry Open Competition 2013
46. Gran’s Living-Room Triptych, Southport Writers’ Circle Open 2015
47. Descendants , Segora Open 2015
48. Me, My Mother & Great Crested Newt, Poetrypulse Open 2015
49. Of cuts of butchery, Sherborne Literary Society Open 2015
50. Pear Blossom, November Open Competition 2015
51. Small Fry, NAWG Open 2015
Roger Elkin won the Diversity House (Excel for Charity Poetry Competition 2009. In 1987 he was shortlisted for the Bloodaxe New Blood book-length publication list. He became the first recipient of the Howard Sergeant Memorial Award for Services to Poetry in 1987; and was The Writer's Rostrum "Poet of the Year, 1991". He was one of 10 shortlisted poets (out of 4,000 entries) for the 2003 Strokestown International Poetry Competition; and one of 6 shortlisted for the Keele University Poetry Prize (2007).
Literary career
His prize-winning poetry has appeared in journals, literary magazines and periodicals, both nationally and internationally.
He has reviewed for Stand, Outposts and Envoi and his critical articles on Ted Hughes's poetry have appeared in collections of essays edited by Keith Sagar (1995) and Joanny Moulin (1999); and also on the "Earth-Moon, Ted Hughes" and the "Ted Hughes Society" websites. He is an acknowledged critical authority on Ted Hughes's limited edition publication, Recklings (1966).
He was Poetry Tutor at Wedgwood Memorial College, Barlaston.
He was literary advisor to the Leek, Staffordshire Arts Festival, for whom he organised an International Poetry Competition (1982–1992); the co-editor (with J.C.R. Green) of Prospice, the international literary quarterly, from issues 17-25 inclusive; and the sole editor of poetry magazine Envoi 1991-2006, (issues 101-145).
Published Collections
- Pricking Out (Aquila, 1988) - ISBN 0-7275-0401-0
- Points of Reference (Headland, 1996) - ISBN 0-903074-80-X
- Home Ground (Headland, 2002) - ISBN 1-902096-72-X
- Rites of Passing (Shoestring, 2002) - ISBN 1-904886-43-4
- Blood Brothers, New and Selected Poems (Headland, 2006) - ISBN 1-902096-96-7
- No Laughing Matter (Cinnamon Press, 2007) - ISBN 978-1-905614-34-9
- Dog's Eye View (Lapwing Press,2009) - ISBN 978-1-907276-24-8
- Fixing Things (Indigo Dream Publishing, 2010,) - ISBN 978-1-907401-27-5
- Marking Time (SPM publications 2012) - ISBN 978-0-9568101-1-3
- Bird In The Hand (Indigo Dreams, 2012) - ISBN 978-1-907401-87-9
- Chance Meetings (Poetry Space Ltd, 2014) - ISBN 978-1-909404-11-3