Ian lives in West Yorkshire. His debut collection Zebra (Nine Arches Press) was nominated for the Portico Prize. His work is widely published in journals, including The Poetry Review, The Rialto and Magma. Awards include first prize in the Hamish Canham Prize and highly commended in the Forward Prizes for Poetry. Ian is the editor of Why I Write Poetry (Nine Arches Press, 2021), the producer and co-editor of a forthcoming anthology on Sylvia Plath (Nine Arches Press, 2022), and a guest editor at Butcher’s Dog poetry magazine.
BBC Commission
Ian is working on a new poem and short film in collaboration with Ascension Dance Company to debut at the BBC’s Contains Strong Language Festival in September.
Sylvia Plath book
Ian has won an Arts Council England Lottery Funded Project Grant to produce an anthology of poems and essays in response to the legacy of Sylvia Plath. He will co-edit the book with fellow Hebden Bridge poet Sarah Corbett.
Why I Write Poetry
Ian is the editor of Why I Write Poetry: Essays on Becoming a Poet, Keeping Going and Advice for the Writing Life – fourth in the best-selling series of creative writing handbooks from Nine Arches Press.