Phil Bowen

Philip Hugh Bowen
Born	1949 Liverpool, England
Occupation(s)	Poet, playwright, performer, educator, biographer
Years active	1972–present
Known for	Poetry, plays, educational work, biographies

Philip Hugh Bowen (b. 1949) is an English poet, playwright, performer, educator, and biographer. Raised in Liverpool, he worked as a teacher there between 1972 and 1979. During the 1980s, he managed a publican business before dedicating himself fully to writing in 1992. Currently residing in Cornwall, he travels across the country engaging with schools as both a writer and performer.

Poetry

• What the Night Says
• That Was Peter Glaze – Ure Press – 1993
• The Professor’s Boots – Westwords – 1994
• Jewels & Binoculars (Editor) – Stride – 1994
• Things We Said Today (Editor) – Stride – 1995
• Variety’s Hammer – Stride – 1997
• Starfly – Stride – 2004
• Nowhere’s Far – New & Selected Poems 1990–2009 – Salt Publications

Contributions

• Hepworth – Westwords – 1993
• Return to Sender – Headlock – 1994
• The Bridport Anthology – Sansom – 1995
• The Forward Anthology – Forward – 1998
• Paradise for Sale – Arts Council Collection – 1998
• Welsh Routes – Liverpool Community Spirit – 2006
• Hidden Histories – Exeter University – 2007
• You Have Been Warned – Oxford – 2008

Prose

• A Gallery to Play To: The Story of the Mersey Poets – Stride – 1998; revised edition Liverpool University Press – 2008

Dramatic Works

• A Handful Of Rain: Performed in New York City, Edinburgh, Swansea, New End Theatre (1999–2002)
• The Same Boat: Staged in Swansea, Cardiff, Edinburgh Fringe (2003–04)
• The Other Side of the Words: Presented in Swansea, Penzance (2004), St Ives (2006)
• Chimney Kids (children’s musical co-created with Paul Butler): Shown in Camborne (2004), Swansea (2006)
• Anything But Love: Produced at New End London (2007), Swansea (2008), St Ives Festival (2009), Cheltenham Literature Festival (2010)
• Parlez Vous Jig Jig: Performed in Swansea (2004, 2006), Shakespeare Link Powys, Rosemary Branch London (2008)
• A Case of the Poet: Presented in London (2006), Hull (2007)

Additional Publications

• Crafting Poetry – Original Writing for GCSE Readings by Phil Bowen – DMEC
• The Blue Hand DVD (DMEC)
• Adventures in Poetry – Radio 4: Tonight at Noon – Adrian Henri (2004)
• Centre of the Creative Universe – Liverpool & the Avant-Garde – Liverpool University Press and Tate Liverpool (2007), exploring Allen Ginsberg’s 1965 visit to Liverpool

Broadcast Media

• Poetry Please
• Write Out Loud
• Something Understood
• The Archive Hour
• Adventures in Poetry - Radio 4
• Happy Birthday Poetry - Radio 2
• London Weekend TV
• Laughing Gas (Andrew Lanyon Films) - Mister Aquaviva Pilot for Theta Films (2007/08)

Honours

• Ralph Lewis Award from Sussex University, 1997
• Bridport Prize Runner-Up, 1998