TeaFlix Interview with Roger McGough

Roger McGough CBE, FRSL is one of Britain’s most beloved and enduring poets, known for his wit, wordplay, and deep emotional resonance. Born in Litherland, Liverpool, McGough rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leading voice in the Liverpool poets movement alongside Adrian Henri and Brian Patten. Their influential anthology, The Mersey Sound (1967), brought poetry to new, younger audiences and became one of the best-selling poetry collections of all time in the UK. He was also a member of the famous trio known as SCAFFOLD with members John Gorman and Mike McGear McCartney. They appeared regularly at Liverpool's Everyman Theater, the Edinburgh Festival and also had a couple of chart toppers "Thank U Very Much" and "Lily The Pink" which made them faves of the BBC's "Top of The Pops".

A prolific writer, he has published dozens of poetry collections for both adults and children, including The Way Things Are, You Tell Me, After the Merrymaking, and As Far As I Know. His work is often marked by humor and a keen social awareness, blending the lyrical with the satirical.

In addition to poetry, McGough has enjoyed a successful career in broadcasting. He has hosted BBC Radio 4’s long-running poetry show Poetry Please and written scripts for stage and film, including contributions to the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. 

McGough has received numerous accolades, including the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, an OBE (1997), and a CBE (2004) for services to literature. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and continues to perform and publish widely, delighting generations of readers and WE audiences with his poetic voice.

His current projects include a tour aptly named "Alive & Gigging" and the release of his latest book "The Collected Poems" which presents the definitive selection of his very best work, from the Mersey-soaked sound of his quintessential Sixties start, through to tender meditations on fatherhood and family, and on to political sendups, pandemic playfulness and brilliant new writing. Here, then, is an unmatched store of warmth, wisdom and feeling from Britain's most beloved poet.

He's been called 'The patron saint of poetry' by Carol Ann Duffy and TimeOut Magazine said of Roger" "McGough has done for poetry what champagne does for weddings".

Thanks for tuning in to TeaFlix - learn more about the hosts at https://MrsMcCartneyTeas.com and https://RuthMcCartney.com

Learn more about Dr. Angie & Ruth at https://MrsMcCartneysTeas.com and https://RuthMcCartney.com