'The patron saint of poetry' (according to Carol Ann Duffy), Roger McGough was born in Liverpool, the son of a docker, and attended Hull University. In the '60s he had a brief flirtation with the pop world as a member of the Scaffold. He has been one of Britain's most popular poets for over 40 years, and has written many books for children and adults. His Selected Poems, entitled Blazing Fruit, is a bestselling poetry title on the Penguin backlist. He lives in Barnes, south-west London, with his wife and two youngest children.