He read Philosophy and Theology at Regent's Park College, Oxford. He is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Manchester Metropolitan University. His collaboration with composer James MacMillan has led to two BBC Proms choral commissions, a song cycle and a new opera for the Welsh National Opera. In the 1990's he worked as a documentary maker for BBC radio and TV.

Published Works

• ''The Half Healed' (Jonathan Cape [Cape 2008), ISBN 978-0-224-08567-0
• Breath, (Jonathan Cape [Cape 2008), ISBN 978-0-224-07802-3
• Patrick's Alphabet, (Cape 2006), ISBN 0-224-07596-9
• The Miracles of Jesus, Lion Hudson (2006), ISBN 0-7459-5194-5,official tie-in to TV series
• Corpus, (Cape 2004) (winner of the 2004 Whitbread Poetry Award), ISBN 0-224-07342-7
• Her Maker's Maker, Phoenix Poetry Pamphlets, (2002) limited edition
• Limekilns, Redundant Press, (2002) limited edition
• Burning Babylon, (Cape 2001), ISBN 0-224-06185-2
• Raising Sparks, (Cape 1999), ISBN 0-224-05902-5
• Soft Keys, (Secker and Warburg 1993), ISBN 0-436-41988-2

Performed Libretti

• The Sacrifice [Welsh National Opera] (composer James MacMillan) (winner of RPS Award 2008)
• Parthenogenesis [widely performed in UK & abroad] (composer James MacMillan)
• The Birds of Rhiannon [BBC Proms commission] (composer James MacMillan)
• Quickening [BBC Proms commission] (composer James MacMillan)
• Raising Sparks [Nash Ensemble commission] (composer James MacMillan)
• Sun Dogs [3 Choirs Festival commission] (composer James MacMillan)
• Chosen (composer James MacMillan)

Awards and prizes

• Whitbread Poetry Award (2004)
• Eric Gregory Award (1988)
• Poetry Book Society Recommendation (2001 and 2004)
• Sandford St Martin Premier Award (2002)
• K Blundell Trust Award (2003)
• Arts Council Writers Award (2007)
• Royal Philharmonic Society Award [with James MacMillan] (2008)

He has been shortlisted for:

• T S Eliot Prize (2001 and 2004)
• Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year) (2004)
• Griffin International Poetry Prize (2005)

External links

• Michael Symmons Roberts author Web site
• Griffin Poetry Prize biography
• Griffin Poetry Prize audio/video clips
• CBC Radio's Tapestry interview with Michael Symmons Roberts
• New coup for Writing School — MMU news item