Rich Goodson is a queer cis-man (he/they) of white, northern European heritage. He grew up in the East Midlands, UK, where his family has working class roots, and now lives in Belper, Derbyshire. He read English at St.Edmund Hall, Oxford.
Rich has spent the last 25 years teaching teenage refugees in Nottingham. He recently began work as a counsellor (see www.richgoodsontherapy.com) and is a practising Zen Buddhist.
His poems are often meditations on masculinity, 'foreignness' and identity and can be placed in a tradition which asks: "What does it mean to be embodied - sexually, psychologically and spiritually - in resistance to society - and how do we survive?"
For all his adult life he's taught Creative Writing workshops in schools, colleges, universities, community groups and prisons.
Poetry Successes :
2 poems in the anthology 'The Penguin Poetry of Sex', ed. Sophie Hannah (2016).
Début pamphlet, 'Mr Universe', published by Eyewear Books (2017): awarded 'Autumn 2017 Pamphlet Choice' by The Poetry Book Society.
2 poems in the Emma Press anthology 'In Transit: Poems of Travel', ed. Sarah Jackson and Tim Youngs (2018).
1 poem in 'The Best New British And Irish Poets 2019-2021', ed. Nick Makoha (Eyewear Publishing, 2021)
Winner of Freedom From Torture's poetry competition (2022) with his poem 'Kora'.
Other Things You Might Want To Know:
In 1998 he completed a Masters in Writing (Lifewriting and Fiction) at Nottingham Trent University.
In 2008 he started Nottingham Stanza, now the longest-running contemporary poetry reading group in the U.K.
In 2012 he completed a Doctorate in Writing (Poetry) at Nottingham Trent University.
In 2013 he founded Word Jam (now 'World Jam'), a collective of poets and musicians whose first language isn't English.
In 2017 he worked with an African women's group and wrote a toolkit for writers & teachers who want to work with refugees. This was sent to all the UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world & can be downloaded HERE.
His poems can also be found on a live album called 'Out On A Limb' with the improv / experimental jazz duo Tunc (Wayne Rex and Dave Jackson) on www.muteantsoundsnetlabel.bandcamp.com
He's danced on a podium in the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester.
He once went to Switzerland, by mistake.
He's available for readings, workshops and collaborations.
He's on Twitter at : richgoodson OR dharmabumpoet
OR on Instagram at: rich.goodson
Rich has spent the last 25 years teaching teenage refugees in Nottingham. He recently began work as a counsellor (see www.richgoodsontherapy.com) and is a practising Zen Buddhist.
His poems are often meditations on masculinity, 'foreignness' and identity and can be placed in a tradition which asks: "What does it mean to be embodied - sexually, psychologically and spiritually - in resistance to society - and how do we survive?"
For all his adult life he's taught Creative Writing workshops in schools, colleges, universities, community groups and prisons.
Poetry Successes :
2 poems in the anthology 'The Penguin Poetry of Sex', ed. Sophie Hannah (2016).
Début pamphlet, 'Mr Universe', published by Eyewear Books (2017): awarded 'Autumn 2017 Pamphlet Choice' by The Poetry Book Society.
2 poems in the Emma Press anthology 'In Transit: Poems of Travel', ed. Sarah Jackson and Tim Youngs (2018).
1 poem in 'The Best New British And Irish Poets 2019-2021', ed. Nick Makoha (Eyewear Publishing, 2021)
Winner of Freedom From Torture's poetry competition (2022) with his poem 'Kora'.
Other Things You Might Want To Know:
In 1998 he completed a Masters in Writing (Lifewriting and Fiction) at Nottingham Trent University.
In 2008 he started Nottingham Stanza, now the longest-running contemporary poetry reading group in the U.K.
In 2012 he completed a Doctorate in Writing (Poetry) at Nottingham Trent University.
In 2013 he founded Word Jam (now 'World Jam'), a collective of poets and musicians whose first language isn't English.
In 2017 he worked with an African women's group and wrote a toolkit for writers & teachers who want to work with refugees. This was sent to all the UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world & can be downloaded HERE.
His poems can also be found on a live album called 'Out On A Limb' with the improv / experimental jazz duo Tunc (Wayne Rex and Dave Jackson) on www.muteantsoundsnetlabel.bandcamp.com
He's danced on a podium in the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester.
He once went to Switzerland, by mistake.
He's available for readings, workshops and collaborations.
He's on Twitter at : richgoodson OR dharmabumpoet
OR on Instagram at: rich.goodson
