About me

Richard Skinner is a writer working across fiction, life writing, essays, non-fiction and poetry. He has published three novels with Faber & Faber, four books of non-fiction and four books of poetry. His work has been nominated for prizes and is published in eight languages. As well as appearing regularly on the UK literary festival circuit, Richard has also delivered key note speeches and workshops at festivals and conferences in Brazil, Turkey, Greece, Spain, France, Germany and Ireland. Richard is represented by Clare Conville at Conville & Walsh.

Richard's poetry first appeared in the Faber anthology First Pressings (1998) and since then in anthologies for William Blake, John Berger, CALM and Médicines Sans Frontières. His latest book of poems 'The Malvern Aviator', was published by Smokestack in April 2018 ('Richard Skinner’s The Malvern Aviator carries a freight of deep poetic intelligence.' George Szirtes). His forthcoming book of poems, 'Invisible Sun', will be published in February 2021 ('Breathtaking.' Roy Marshall).

Richard is a longstanding member of the music collective Pablo’s Eye, for whom he supplies texts and titles. His collaboration with Pablo's Eye's began with all she wants grows blue (1998) and has continued with their most recent releases: southlite (2017) and Tentative d’épuisement d’un lieu parisien (2020).

In 2011, Richard started Vanguard Readings, a monthly live platform for new writers and established authors that to date has hosted more than 80 events. #VanguardOnTour started in 2016 and has so far made stops at Grasmere, Birmingham, Hay-on-Wye, Margate, Norwich, Leeds, Ludlow, Manchester, Salisbury, Brighton, Harlow & Frome.

In 2014, he founded Vanguard Editions, a not-for-profit press that receives no funding or financial support of any kind. So far, Richard has edited and published three poetry anthologies and six original single-authored books of poetry, translations and art-writing. He is the editor of three other poetry anthologies: The Ecchoing Green: Poems Inspired by William Blake (The Big Blake Project, 2015),  Winter Solstice Anthology (co-edited with Marie Lightman, 2018) and Original Plus Dub (Hesterglock Press, co-edited with Paul Hawkins, 2019). Richard is  the editor of the annual poetry magazine 14. He is also editor of Magma 80, published Summer 2021.

Richard is a tutor and Director of the Fiction Programme at Faber Academy.