Michael Symmons Roberts – Georg Bollenbeck Fellow 2023
Michael Symmons Roberts was born in 1963 in Preston, Lancashire. After graduating from Oxford University, where he read Philosophy & Theology, he joined the BBC. His last position at the corporation was Executive Producer and Head of Development for BBC Religion & Ethics before he left the BBC to focus on his writing.
Michael Symmons Roberts has published eight collections of poetry, two novels, and was co-writer for two non-fiction books. He is a regular broadcaster for the BBC (Radios 3 and 4), with programmes ranging from features (e.g. “A Fearful Symmetry” [2011]; “Northern Drift” [2022]), radio plays (among them “Utopia” [2016], “The Sleeper [2017]; “Paradise Lost” [2018] and “Danger 2023” [2023]). His continuing collaboration with composer James MacMillan has led to two BBC Proms choral commissions (“The Birds of Rhiannon“ [2001], “Quickening” [2009]), song cycles (among them “Raising Sparks” [2002]), music theatre works and operas for the Royal Opera House (“Clemency” [2011]), Scottish Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and Welsh National Opera (“The Sacrifice” [2007], “The Sleepers” [2011]).
Michael Symmons Roberts has received several awards, such as the Forward Poetry Prize for Best Collection (2013; 2004), the Costa Poetry Prize (2013), the Jerwood Prize for Non-Fiction (2009, with Paul Farley), the Whitbread Poetry Award (2004), the Sandford St. Martin Premier Award (2002) and the Eric Gregory Award (1988).
Five of his poetry collections have also been shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize (Ransom, 2021; Mancunia, 2017; Drysalter, 2013; Corpus, 2004; Burning Babylon, 2001).
He is a trustee of the Royal Literary Fund, fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has judged a number of poetry awards. He teaches poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University.