The Writers of Wales Database

READ, PETER

Mobile: 07931 614180
Email: petersamread@hotmail.co.uk 

Peter Read was born in Rhosllanerchrugog near Wrexham. He now lives in Wrexham but is still heavily involved in the arts scene in South as well as North Wales. A poet, playwright and ghost writer he has visited over sixty schools in Wales helping primary and secondary school pupils to write creatively. Having written extensively about football, he is in great demand to work with reluctant readers and writers. As a writer in residence, he has worked at Wrexham  and Bridport Town Football clubs. At Cardiff City Football club he is part of the All Skilled Up literacy programme.

He was a founder editor of the Roundyhouse magazine and in 2007 won the John Tripp Award for Performance Poetry. In 2006 he was the guest poet at the North American and Canadian Welsh Festival in Ohio. His poetry has been performed on Radio 2, 4 and Five Live plus HTV and BBC2. Two mini series about poetry, which he wrote, were broadcast on BBC Radio Wales.

A belief in literature being accessible, drives much of his work and in 2008 he worked with the community of St Thomas in Swansea to write a play entitled Three Sides of Eastside. In the same year his play Shearer or Me! won the NODA award for the best stage production of 2008. He has written several plays about football and in 2012 Wemberlee, Wemberlee a play about Swansea City’s rise to the Premiership played, at the Swansea Grand Theatre, to sell out audiences.

Dylan Thomas and John Tripp were the subjects for two one man shows which he wrote and performed. Dylan Thomas’ Final Journey was premiered in 2011 and John Tripp’s Tragic Cabaret was commissioned by Literature Wales in 2009. He has won five star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe for his depiction of Dylan Thomas.

He has ghost written for Garry Monk, Dixie McNeil, Roberto Martinez and Kevin Johns. Working with library services he has helped people write their memoirs and has been involved in several inter generational creative writing schemes throughout Wales.

He has lectured in Creative Writing for the Department of Adult Continuing Eduction, Swansea, WEA and the Staff Development Unit at Swansea University.

A one time ordained minister of religion, he resigned from the church on losing his faith in 1994. In the late eighties and early nineties he successfully campaigned for the release of his nephew who was wrongly convicted of double murder in the United States.

The photograph of Peter above is copyrighted to Bryan Gaylor

Selected Publications:
Unlikely Heroes (Inter-Varsity Press, 1990)
God’s Botherer (Swansea Poetry Workshop, 2001)
Read Only (Pinewood Press, 2008)
Oh Yes It Is (Y Lolfa, 2008)
Kicking Every Ball (Y Lolfa, 2008)
Vicar Joe’s Religious Joke Book (Y Lolfa, 2009)
Dixie (Y Lolfa, 2011)
Loud, Proud and Positive (Y Lolfa, 2012)

Staged Plays:
Dixie or Me! (2005)
Roughly Speaking (With Helen Veale) - 2006
Only the Truth (2006)
Toshack or Me! (2006)
To Hull and Back (2008)
Shearer or Me! (2008)
Three Sides of Eastside (2008)
Press Star (2009)
John Tripp’s Tragic Cabaret (2009)
Vicar Joe (2009)
The No No Nativity (2010)
The Eighth Day (With Richard Lloyd) 2011
Dylan Thomas’ Last Journey (2011)
Wemberlee! Wimberley (2012)
 

Eligible Writers on Tour subjects offered:

1. Read and discuss own work
2. Creative Writing Workshops
3. Community plays and or writing projects
4. Ghostwriting for other people
5. Dylan Thomas