Literary Birthday – 21 June – John Agard

Happy Birthday, John Agard, born 21 June 1949.

Three Quotes

1. Humour breaks down boundaries, it topples our self-importance, it connects people, and because it engages and entertains, it ultimately enlightens.
2. Poetry lives in the breath. It’s almost like going back to that collective thing, around the fire.
3. I feel an empathy with the bad characters… I think that’s part of the excitement of writing, how you can give a voice to certain characters, or people that are usually voiceless.

John Agard is an Afro-Guyanese playwright, poet, and children’s writer. He lives in the UK and was selected for the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2012. He is the author of Book: My Autobiography.

by Amanda Patterson

Please click here for our Literary Birthday Calendar