Professor Michael Symmons Roberts

Michael Symmons Roberts

Professor Michael Symmons Roberts

Professor of Poetry

My profile

Biography

I’m a poet.

I’ve published eight collections of poetry, but I also work in a range of related areas. I’m a regular broadcaster on BBC Radios 3 and 4 and TV, a radio dramatist and opera librettist. I’ve also written novels and nonfiction. At the heart of it all is poetry, so I’m interested in supervising research projects on modern and contemporary poetry (20th and 21st Century), poetry and theology, poetry and science, poetry and music, poetry and broadcast.

I teach online and campus poetry workshops and literature courses, and supervise PhD students.

Academic and professional qualifications

Philosophy & Theology at Oxford University.

Government and industry links

Won

  • Forward Prize for Best Collection (Drysalter) (2013)
  • Costa Poetry Award (Drysalter) (2013)
  • Fellowship of Royal Society of Literature (2014)
  • Whitbread Prize for Poetry (Corpus) (2004)
  • Arts Council Writers Award (2007)
  • Poetry Book Society Choice (2013)
  • Eric Gregory Award (1988)
  • Fellowship of the English Association (2012)
  • Clarion Award for Radio Drama (2008)
  • Poetry Book Society Recommendation (2001)
  • Poetry Book Society Recommendation (2004)
  • Sandford St Martin Premier Award (2002)
  • K Blundell Trust Award (2003)
  • Jerusalem Trust Award (2004)
  • Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards [with James MacMillan] (2008)
  • Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction [with Paul Farley] (2009)
  • Foyles Best Book of Ideas Award [with Paul Farley] (2012)

Shortlisted

  • Griffin International Poetry Prize (2005)
  • T S Eliot Prize (2001)
  • T S Eliot Prize (2004)
  • T S Eliot Prize (2013)
  • T S Eliot Prize (2017)
  • T S Eliot Prize (2021)
  • Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year) 2004
  • Olivier Awards [with James MacMillan] (2012)
  • Mental Health Award (for Radio Drama) (2008)
  • Ondaatje Prize [with Paul Farley] (2012)
  • BBC Audio Drama Awards (2013)
  • BBC Audio Drama Awards (2014)

Personal website address

http://www.symmonsroberts.com

Get in touch

0161 247 3008
Bellhouse

Impact

Men Who Sleep in Cars (2017)

Engaging New Audiences with Public Poetry

A research project by Manchester Met poets to bring poetry to new audiences through broadcast, performance, and commemoration.

Read more

Teaching

Why do I teach?

As a poet, and Professor of Poetry, my work at MMU is about nurturing and developing writers and readers of poetry. To help students develop their skill, understanding and confidence is very rewarding, and many of them go on to achieve publication and a readership for their own poetry beyond MMU.

Postgraduate teaching

Creative writing - poetry.

Subject areas

Poetry

Research outputs

  • Books (authored/edited/special issues)

    Roberts, M.S. (2025) Quartet for the End of Time On Music, Grief and Birdsong. Random House.

    Roberts, M.S. (2021) Ransom. Random House.

    Roberts, M.S. (2017) Mancunia. Random House.

    Roberts, M.S., Farley, P. (2017) Deaths of the Poets. Random House.

    Roberts, M.S. (2016) Selected Poems. Random House.

    Roberts, M.S. (2013) Drysalter. Jonathan Cape.

    Roberts, M.S. (2011) Edgelands. Jonathan Cape.

    Roberts, M.S. (2010) Patrick's Alphabet. Random House.

    Roberts, M.S. (2008) Breath. Jonathan Cape.

    Roberts, M.S. (2008) The half healed.

    Roberts, M.S. (2004) Corpus.

    Roberts, M.S. (2001) Burning Babylon.

    Roberts, M.S. (1996) Raising Sparks. Random House.

    Roberts, M.S. (1993) Soft Keys. Random House.

  • Chapters in books

    Roberts, M.S., Fuller, D. (2021) 'Breath—As Subject, in Form, in Performance: An Interview with Michael Symmons Roberts.' Palgrave Studies in Literature, Science and Medicine. pp. 507-526.

    Roberts, M.S. (2016) 'The Making of Edgelands.' Spatial Practices. pp. 17-24.

    Roberts, M.S., Fuller, D. (2015) ''Raising Sparks': An Interview with Michael Symmons Roberts.' The Recovery of Beauty: Arts, Culture, Medicine. pp. 129-149.

    Roberts, M.S., Fuller, D. (2015) '‘Raising sparks’: An interview with Michael Symmons Roberts.' The Recovery of Beauty: Arts, Culture, Medicine. pp. 129-149.

    Symmons Roberts, M. (2012) 'The Poet’s Tale.' Redcrosse: Remaking Religious Poetry for Today’s World. pp. 93-104.

    Fernie, E., Symmons Roberts, M., Shapcott, J., Shanks, A. (2012) 'Redcrosse: A New Celebration of England and St George.' Redcrosse: Remaking Religious Poetry for Today’s World. pp. 181-199.

    Roberts, M.S. (2010) 'Auden and post-war opera.' W. H. Auden in Context. pp. 246-254.

  • Journal articles

    Roberts, M.S. (2011) 'The cost of Grace.' Poetry Review, 101(1) pp. 54-62.

    Roberts, M.S. (2008) 'Poetry in a post-secular age.' Poetry Review, 98(4) pp. 69-75.

  • Compositions

    Roberts, M.S. (2009) Quickening. [Composition]

  • Other

    Roberts, M.S. (2018) Men Who Sleep in Cars.