Oxford Book Of Children's Poetry

About Michael Harrison, Christopher Stuart-clark

Michael Harrison was born and educated in Oxford and later went to Durham University, where he gained a BA in Philosophy. He then taught at a farm school in North Queensland, Australia as a member of the Bush Brotherhood. He milked the herd of cows daily and travelled the bush taking services and funerals.  Michael returned to Oxford to get a teaching qualification (A.C.E.) at the University, and has since taught in Hartlepool, London, and now in Oxford.

He has written for his own pleasure for as long as he can remember but now finds, to his surprise, that people will pay him for it.

In his own words:

"Editing anthologies is hard work because you have to find what you know you want. It may take hours in the Bodleian looking for the one poem you need for a particular page. Poetry should be like a wholemeal bread and honey: immediate pleasure but with some roughage working its way through the system."

Michael has worked extensively with Christopher Stuart-Clark and their anthologies, including The Oxford Treasury of Time Poems and The Oxford Book of Christmas Poems, are regarded as some of the nation’s best. 

Michael is married with two sons and lives in Oxford.