Meet The Neighbours - Richard O'Brien

Richard is an Assistant Professor in Creative Writing at Northumbria University, and moved to the North East after many years in Birmingham, where from 2018-20 he served as the Birmingham Poet Laureate.

This role involved being an ambassador for poetry and getting local people inspired to write their own, particularly in relation to the city's history. One of his commissioned poems is now on permanent display in Warstone Lane Cemetery, a Victorian graveyard in the Jewellery Quarter.

In 2017, he won an Eric Gregory Award for poetry from the @thesocietyofauthors

Since moving to North Shields, Richard has contributed to public poetry projects including the Bamburgh Bones anthology and the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery. His most recent pamphlet, 'The Dolphin House,' was released by @brokensleepbooks in 2021.

Richard said: "I've loved getting to know the rich history of North Tyneside and its people over the past few years, and I'm keen to get involved with local creative communities as a poet and playwright.

"Having the sea five minutes from my doorstep is something I'll never take for granted! It's been exciting to see new developments in the area in the short time I've been here, from Just Italy Cafe' and @pia.artisanbakery to Harbour House , and I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate, using creative writing to connect what we do at the university to the wider region and tell the stories of the places and people all around us."