Roger Joseph McGough was born on 9th November, 1937. Described by the poet Charles Causley as “a word juggler who never misses a catch” (Parker, 41), McGough is best known as a poet, popular with children and adults alike, but has also had a long career in broadcasting, both as a presenter and scriptwriter.
McGough was born into a large family in Seaforth, Liverpool. Many of his relatives feature in poems such as “Snipers” and “Sad Aunt Madge”, both of which appear in Penguin Modern Poets 10: The Mersey Sound (1967), his first major publication (alongside Adrian Henri and Brian Patten). Whilst not a literary family, his mother Mary placed great emphasis on education as a means of progression. McGough passed the entrance exam for St Mary’s Prep School, and then later won a
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Citation: Taylor, Helen. "Roger McGough". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 April 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5567, accessed 21 November 2024.]
