10 things about Paul...
- I was born in 1961, adopted and brought up in Lancashire with my brother, two sisters and ten thousand chickens
- I published my first booklet when I was eighteen and since then, I’ve published over sixty collections and sold over a million books
- I’ve visited thousands of schools making children and teachers laugh and love poetry for over thirty years – yes, I am that old!
- I am Poet In Residence at The National Football Museum so writes loads of poems about football, including one for Everton’s season ticket campaign ( Home )
- I have a football team of ukuleles of different shapes, sizes and colours. My favourite one is the green one that Liz made me buy because she said it was a pretty colour. I now know over ten chords too.
- I love working with Liz as we make each other laugh all the time, although I do go deaf in one ear after a few days as she never shuts up!
- Liz tells me off for having lots of navy blue shirts when we perform together. Perhaps she should design a shirt for me to wear …
- I first wanted to be a footballer when I was at school. Then a rock star and play guitar. I never did either … BUT I did write a poem for my favourite team ( Everton ) and get to work with the drummer of my favourite band. Don Powell from Slade – they did THAT Christmas song! In fact I’m now in a band with Don ( Don Powell’s Occasional Flames ) and write the words for the songs with my best mate Les, who does the music. So, I suppose my dreams have come true in a roundabout way.
- During Lockdown I started writing and sharing a new poem every day on social media. I am now the man who has launched over a thousand consecutive poems. I love the challenge of writing something new every day.
- Silly poems to make people laugh and join in with are great fun – but I also love writing quiet and thoughtful poems too. That’s the power of poetry and I’ll go where the ideas take me, however strange or weird!
