April 12, 2016

 

 

 

Contacts:
Tami Haaland, 657-2948
University Relations & Communications, 657-2266 

 

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES 鈥� Visiting Writer Julian Stannard will read selections of his poetry at MSU Billings Extended Campus on Friday at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

 

Stannard taught for many years at the University of Genoa and now directs the graduate program in Creative Writing at University of Winchester. His visit to Billings is part of an ongoing collaboration between the creative writing programs at Montana State University Billings and University of Winchester.

 

Stannard has been called 鈥淥ne of the very few mavericks in British poetry鈥� for his ability to meld seriousness with humor, heartbreak with irony. His newest collection, 鈥淲hat Were You Thinking,鈥� has received significant praise. 

 

Don Share of Poetry Magazine says 鈥楾he poetry of Julian Stannnard is a fresh and delectable pleasure because he is a fl芒neur without alienation, a wit whose sharpness comes at nobody鈥檚 expense, and a gourmand with a gleeful sense of mortality.鈥� British Playwright Deborah Levy says 鈥淭he depth charge at work in Stannard鈥檚 every electric sentence makes him one of the most distinctive British poets working today.鈥�

Among his previous collections are 鈥淭he Street of Perfect Love,鈥� 鈥淭he Parrots of Villa Gruber Discover Lapis Lazuli,鈥� 鈥淭he Red Zone鈥� and 鈥淩ina鈥檚 War.鈥� His work has appeared widely in Britain and Europe. In the US, his poetry has appeared in 鈥淧oetry,鈥� 鈥淪alamander,鈥� 鈥淢anhattan Review鈥� and 鈥淭he Cold Mountain Review.鈥� He reviews for the 鈥淭imes Literary Supplement,鈥� the 鈥淕uardian鈥� and 鈥淧oetry Review鈥� and runs poetry workshops for The Poetry School in London. He has been awarded fellowships from the Bogliasco Institute in Italy and Hawthornden in Scotland. In 2010 he was awarded the International Troubadour Prize for poetry.