Hi, you’ve reached the website of Dr Philip Monks, writer. I write poems and plays and I’m based in Bristol. During the Pandemic I’ve been working as an Academic Mentor at Bedminster Down School through the National Tutoring Programme and continue as a creative writing tutor there through the 2021-22 academic year.

I’ve also done some online pieces as a member of the excellent Art\write.

I’m currently overseeing The Happy Place project at Henleaze Library in Bristol, working with poets Mab Jones and Caleb Parkin. This is taking place from Autumn 2021 through into 2022.

I’ve written over 20 plays for young people and families (as well as one or two purely for adults!) and have published 2 poetry pamphlets, edited several poetry and writing anthologies, performed at many events and regularly contribute to the Poetry On Loan projects. I completed a PhD in Creative Writing in 2018 on The Poetry Book In The Digital Age.

I was a founding partner of Hoopla Productions, specialising in music theatre for young people. There is a dedicated website for our play The Night Queen. I also have a close connection with Moving Hands Theatre and with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and have adapted three Christmas shows for them to date.

I enjoy working with schools, libraries, arts and other venues, from one-off visits to long-term collaborations and have been doing this for over twenty years! Some examples are on my workshops page.

I’ve undertaken several writing residencies, especially with art galleries and museums and was part of the large West Midlands project Art In The Heart. Some of the poems written by myself and others as part of the project can be seen at the Art In The Heart Poetry website.

There is an anthology of work, Iris Of A Peeping Eye, co-edited by myself and Jonathan Davidson of Writing West Midlands.

You can also watch a video around my poem The Act Of Looking, created by the wonderful Graham Kershaw on Facebook.

I was a Visiting Lecturer in Creative Writing at Newman University 2016-18 and I am also a long-standing Visiting Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham.

You can contact me at philmonks@aol.com

Cloud Horses

horse clouds
blue-tailed
roof-jumping
chimney-skimming
chasing whisperers
wisperers
listen
dark muzzles of rain
snuffle, thunder, hoove into view