Michael Donaghy facts for kids
Michael Donaghy (born May 24, 1954 – died September 16, 2004) was a talented New York City poet and musician. He lived in London from 1985.
Life and Career
Michael grew up in the Bronx, New York, with his sister Patricia. He loved to read and learn, often going to the public library. He once said that he learned everything important about poetry from libraries, not from university!
He was also a gifted musician. He played the tin whistle, the bodhran (an Irish drum), and the flute very well. Music was a big part of his life and even influenced his poems. He started an Irish music group called Samradh Music.
In 1985, Michael moved to London to be with his partner, Maddy Paxman. They got married in 2003, and their son, Ruairi, was born in 1996. Michael quickly became well-known in the poetry world.
He published his first main collection of poems, Shibboleth, in 1988. The poem that gave the book its title won a prize in 1987. Other books of his poems included Errata (1993) and Conjure (2000). He won many important awards for his writing, like the Geoffrey Faber and Cholmondeley awards.
Michael also worked with a scientist named Kevin Warwick in 2003 to write a book called Grimoire. He continued to play music in different Irish groups. He also taught creative writing at places like the Arvon Foundation and the Poetry Society. He wrote for famous magazines like The New Yorker. His poems were known for being clever and fun, and he was very good at using different poetry styles.
Death
Michael Donaghy died suddenly on September 16, 2004, at the age of 50. A writer for The Guardian newspaper said that his death was a big loss to the poetry world. The Times newspaper described him as a respected figure who believed poetry should bring joy and truth.
After he passed away, another collection of his poems called Safest was published in 2005. A book of his essays and interviews, The Shape of the Dance, came out in 2009.
Honours and Awards
- 1987: National Poetry Competition (2nd Prize)
- 1989: Whitbread Prize for Poetry
- 1990: Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize
- 1992: Arts Council Writers Award
- 1994: Chosen for New Generation Poets Promotion
- 1999: Arts Council Writers Award
- 1999: The Poetry Society Reader in Residence
- 1999: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- 2000: Poetry Book Society Choice for Conjure
- 2000: Forward Poetry Prize (Best Collection) for Conjure
Selected Works
- 1988 Shibboleth, Oxford University Press
- 1993 Errata, Oxford University Press
- 1997 Penguin Modern Poets 11 (contributor with Andrew Motion and Hugo Williams), London: Penguin
- 2000 Dances Learned Last Night: Poems 1975-1995, London: Picador
- 2000 Conjure Picador
- 2005 101 Poems about Childhood (editor), London: Faber & Faber
- 2005 Michael Donaghy Reading from his poems (CD), The Poetry Archive
- 2009 Collected Poems, Picador (published after his death)
- 2009 The Shape of the Dance: Essays, Interviews and Digressions Picador (published after his death)
