Hi, I'm Paul Giffney, aka the Purple Pen Poet!
Hopefully this page will tell you more about what I do,
who I am and how you can make use of my skills and experience and, hopefully for me, also encourage you to purchase one (or more) of my books!
Who am I?
My book bio has listed the first facts that I was born in North Devon in the late 1970s . Yep, I'm 45, from a town called Barnstaple which shaped me in many ways, both good and less-good. I am married to a lovely bloke, have worked as a teacher for 17 years in a variety of forms and now I write and perform poetry.
I have been a lover of poetry since I discovered On The Ning Nang Nong by Spike Milligan, performed it by memory at the age of 7 or 8, and then proceeded to bug all my English teachers for more! Of course, there is much more to me than just birthplace and work history, for example...
Why purple? Why poet?
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Why purple?
Purple has a rich history but, apart from being a colour of regal power (not something I agree with) and hierarchies of religion (again, something I argue with), it is a colour that a lot of people associate with creativity. With a vibrancy of life. It was hard to make naturally as it was rare as a dye source and, ultimately, people possibly link it to this uniqueness and non-standard-ness. As a colour it stands out from the others, it is the last one in the rainbow (violet? indigo? purple?!) but it remains the one felt-tip that most creatives I know instinctually reached for when colouring in their imaginations.
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So why poet?
I am okay at copying how-to-draw videos from the internet. My dad is the artist in my family, my mum more the wordsmith and I took after her in regards to creative talent more. I have always loved language, the power of words and, as yet, have not had the 'novel' idea to write a long story. Which leaves me with either short stories, a medium that I'm slowly getting into, and poetry, something I've always enjoyed.
Poetry: Quicker to read, more portable, more varied and no calories! ™
I became the 10th Bard of Northampton in 2019 and, due to global lockdowns and a desire not to spread illness, I remained bard for two years, rather than one. I took to the airwaves to help other performers, writers, creators et al. on NLive Radio with my show County Culture and slowly amassed enough work to make a book.
When we were able to, I took to local (and more recently, national) stages to perform my work and hope that my work helps others whilst entertaining as well.
