Date- 2004-03-15 Roger McGough was born in Liverpool in 1937. He has written over 50 books for both. He has won the Signal Award for Poetry twice, and the Cholmondeley Award. He has also won a BAFTA for his film work and a Royal Television Society Award for his TV series. He was awarded the freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2001 and his OBE in 1997. He presents Poetry Please and guest hosts Home Truths on Radio 4. Roger McGough was born in Liverpool and educated at St Mary's College and the University of Hull. He has been a writer for many years, and his numerous collections have established him as one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in contemporary poetry.

Among his most popular titles are Summer with Monika , Blazing Fruit and Defying Gravity , all published by Penguin, and for children An Imaginary Menagerie , Pillow Talk and Bad, Bad Cats . He is an international ambassador for poetry and in 1997 was awarded an OBE, andin 2004 he was awarded a CBE. Hismost recent books include All the Best and Slapstick and for adults, Collected Poems and Selected Poems .