Robert Priest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Priest
|
|
|---|---|
Robert Priest in 2007
|
|
| Born | 10 July 1951 Walton-on-Thames, England |
| Occupation | Author |
| Genre | Children's literature |
Robert Priest is a Canadian writer, poet, and singer-songwriter. He was born in England on July 10, 1951. Robert Priest has written many books for both children and adults. He has published eighteen books of poetry and four novels for young readers. He has also released several music albums with his songs and poems.
Robert Priest is sometimes known as "Dr Poetry." He wrote and performed poetry for a radio show called "Wordbeat." He is also famous for his short, wise sayings called aphorisms. One of his songs, "Song Instead of a Kiss," became a number one hit for singer Alannah Myles. People who review books say that his adult poetry is very imaginative. His children's poetry is also highly praised. One critic said his children's poems are "almost miraculous" and full of celebration. Robert Priest's plays, novels, and songs have won awards in Canada. His music is now enjoyed by people all over the world.
About Robert Priest
Robert Priest was born in 1951. When he was four years old, his family moved to Toronto, Canada. His father served in the British Navy. His mother was a part-time comedian. She also served in the Women's Royal Naval Service, known as the Wrens.
Growing up in Scarborough, Robert loved stories. His mother often told him fun tales before bedtime. He also enjoyed books from the bookmobile, which was a library on wheels. By the age of eight, Robert says he dreamed of becoming a writer. In 1970, he started studying math at the University of Waterloo. But he loved writing poetry more. He left after one semester to focus on his writing.
Since his first poetry book in 1979, he has published many more. This includes eighteen poetry books, four plays, and four novels for children and young adults. He has also written articles for Now Magazine in Toronto. Robert Priest is also a talented singer-songwriter. He has released six rock albums for adults. He also has three collections of music for children. He wrote and performed many children's songs for CBC radio's Is Anybody Home. He also wrote songs for the long-running TV show Sesame Street. A song he helped write with Nancy Simmonds and Alannah Myles became a number one hit in Canada. It is still played around the world today. Robert Priest lives in Toronto with Marsha Kirzner.
Awards and Achievements
Robert Priest has written 23 books of poetry and stories. He won the Milton Acorn Memorial People's Poetry Award for his book The Mad Hand in 1988.
As "Dr. Poetry," Robert wrote and performed thirteen parts for CBC radio's Wordbeat show. As a songwriter, he co-wrote the hit song "Song Instead of a Kiss." This song was number one in Canada for two weeks. It stayed number one in Quebec for six weeks. This earned Robert a SOCAN airplay award. The song is still played often around the world.
His short, wise sayings, called aphorisms, have appeared in the Farmers' Almanac. They are also in Colombo's Canadian Quotations. He has written four plays. One play, The Coming, was co-written with Leon Rooke. Robert Priest's musical play Minibugs and Microchips won a Chalmers Award.
His novel, Knights of the Endless Day (1993), won an Our Choice Award. This award is from the Canadian Children's Book Centre. Two of his children's poetry books, Daysongs Nightsongs and The Secret Invasion of Bananas and Other Poems (2002), are on a recommended reading list by the CBC.
His 2013 book of poems for children and young adults, Rosa Rose, won a Silver Moonbeam Award. It was also an honor book for the Lion and the Unicorn award at Johns Hopkins University. Its next book, The Wolf is Back, won the Gold Moonbeam Award for best children's poems in the Americas. His fantasy series Spell Crossed also won an Our Choice Award. It has been called a modern classic.
In 2022, Robert co-wrote the song "S.E.E.D.S." for Julian Taylor's album. This song was a top 5 hit on the CBC's Music Chart. His most recent book of adult poetry, If I Didn't Love the River, was published in 2022. In 2024, a new collection of poems and songs called People Like You and Me was released. A new book of poetry, Accidents After Happening, will be published in 2025.
