John Hegley
Encyclopedia
John Richard Hegley is an English performance poet, comedian, musician and songwriter.
area of Islington
, London, England, into a Roman Catholic household. He was brought up in Luton
and Bristol
. After school he worked as a bus conductor and civil servant before attending the University of Bradford
, where he gained a B.Sc. in European Literature and the History of Ideas and Sociology. Hegley has French ancestry (his father's name was René) and claims he is descended from the composer Jean-Philippe Rameau
. His paternal grandmother was a dancer with the Folies Bergère.
in 1983, and recorded two sessions for John Peel
in 1983 and 1984. Hegley published his first poetry collection, Visions of the Bone Idol (Poems about Dogs and Glasses), pieces from which were later incorporated into Glad to Wear Glasses, in 1984. Hegley has written a number of collections of poetry, ranging from the surreal through the humorous to the personal and emotional. There are a number of recurring themes in his poems, notably glasses, dogs and reminiscences of his childhood in Luton.
He was presenter of the Border Television
series Word of Mouth - in which numerous contemporary poets performed their work - in 1990, and the BBC radio
series Hearing with Hegley from 1996 to 1999. His other television appearances include Wogan
and Never Mind the Buzzcocks
. In 1998, Hegley's poem "Malcolm" came second in a BBC
survey to find Britain's most popular comic poem. In 1999 he starred in a Simon Callow
-directed revival of the musical The Pajama Game
in London's West End. Hegley frequently performs live and is a regular at the Edinburgh Festival
. His stage act includes elements of poetry, music (he plays the mandolin
and is often accompanied by a double bassist), comedy and Luton Town Football Club
. He also likes to utilise audience participation in his shows, for example by having a dog drawing competition during the interval, or by asking his audience to try writing poetry themselves.
The University of Luton
awarded him an honorary
LL.D. in 2000, and he has also led creative writing courses at the university.
Hegley launched "Warning: May Contain Nuts
", a project using comedy to increase awareness of mental illness. He performed these shows in 2010 with other performers, including comic Mackenzie Taylor, talking about mental illness.
Early life
He was born in the Newington GreenNewington Green
Newington Green is an open space in north London which straddles the border between Islington and Hackney. It gives its name to the surrounding area, roughly bounded by Ball's Pond Road to the south, Petherton Road to the west, the southern section of Stoke Newington with Green Lanes-Matthias Road...
area of Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London, England, into a Roman Catholic household. He was brought up in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. After school he worked as a bus conductor and civil servant before attending the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
, where he gained a B.Sc. in European Literature and the History of Ideas and Sociology. Hegley has French ancestry (his father's name was René) and claims he is descended from the composer Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François...
. His paternal grandmother was a dancer with the Folies Bergère.
Career
Hegley began his performing career at London's Comedy Store in 1980, and received national exposure when he appeared with his backing band the Popticians on Carrott's LibCarrott's Lib
Carrott's Lib is a British satirical comedy series broadcast between 1982 and 1983. It starred Jasper Carrott and a cast of many comedians. The show was not just a satirical comedy, it was also a sketch show with many comedians of the future, most famously Chris Barrie & Jan Ravens...
in 1983, and recorded two sessions for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
in 1983 and 1984. Hegley published his first poetry collection, Visions of the Bone Idol (Poems about Dogs and Glasses), pieces from which were later incorporated into Glad to Wear Glasses, in 1984. Hegley has written a number of collections of poetry, ranging from the surreal through the humorous to the personal and emotional. There are a number of recurring themes in his poems, notably glasses, dogs and reminiscences of his childhood in Luton.
He was presenter of the Border Television
Border Television
Border Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria...
series Word of Mouth - in which numerous contemporary poets performed their work - in 1990, and the BBC radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
series Hearing with Hegley from 1996 to 1999. His other television appearances include Wogan
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
and Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. In 1998, Hegley's poem "Malcolm" came second in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
survey to find Britain's most popular comic poem. In 1999 he starred in a Simon Callow
Simon Callow
Simon Phillip Hugh Callow, CBE is an English actor, writer and theatre director. He is also currently a judge on Popstar to Operastar.-Early years:...
-directed revival of the musical The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
in London's West End. Hegley frequently performs live and is a regular at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
. His stage act includes elements of poetry, music (he plays the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and is often accompanied by a double bassist), comedy and Luton Town Football Club
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
. He also likes to utilise audience participation in his shows, for example by having a dog drawing competition during the interval, or by asking his audience to try writing poetry themselves.
The University of Luton
University of Bedfordshire
The University of Bedfordshire is based in Luton and Bedford, the two largest towns in the English county of Bedfordshire. The university was created by the merger of the University of Luton and the Bedford campus of De Montfort University on 1 August 2006 following approval by the Privy Council...
awarded him an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
LL.D. in 2000, and he has also led creative writing courses at the university.
Hegley launched "Warning: May Contain Nuts
Warning: May Contain Nuts
Warning: May Contain Nuts was a comedy project organised by BBC Radio Berkshire and charity Company Paradiso involving performance and creative writing related to mental illness that was run in the United Kingdom during 2010...
", a project using comedy to increase awareness of mental illness. He performed these shows in 2010 with other performers, including comic Mackenzie Taylor, talking about mental illness.
Books
- Visions of the Bone Idol (Poems about Dogs and Glasses) illustrated by Linda LeatherbarrowLinda LeatherbarrowLinda Leatherbarrow is a British short story writer and illustrator. Her stories have been published in her collection, Essential Kit and many magazines including Ambit, Cosmopolitan, Mslexia and Writing Women, and in several anthologies...
(Little Bird Press 1984) ASIN: B0016ZKLU2 - The Brother-in-Law and Other Animals (Down the Publishing Company 1986)
- Poems for Pleasure (Hamlyn 1989)
- Glad to Wear Glasses (glad to have ears) illustrated by Linda Leatherbarrow (Andre Deutsch 1990) ISBN 978-0233050355
- Can I Come Down Now, Dad? (Methuen 1991)
- Five Sugars, Please (Methuen 1993)
- These Were Your Father's (Methuen 1994)
- Love Cuts (Methuen 1995)
- The Family Pack (Methuen 1997: incorporating The Brother-in-Law and Other Animals, Can I Come Down Now, Dad? and These Were Your Father's)
- Beyond our Kennel (Methuen 1998)
- Dog (Methuen 2000)
- My Dog is a Carrot (Walker Books 2002)
- The Sound of Paint Drying (Methuen 2003)
- Sit-Down Comedy (contributor to anthology, ed Malcolm HardeeMalcolm HardeeMalcolm Hardee was an English comedian, author, comedy club proprietor, compère, agent, manager and "amateur sensationalist"....
& John Fleming) Ebury Press/Random House, 2003. ISBN 0091889243; ISBN 978-0091889241 - Uncut Confetti (Methuen 2006)
- The Ropes: Poems To Hold On To (editor with Sophie Hannah) (Diamond Twig 2008)
- The Adventures of Monsieur Robinet (Donut Press 2009)
Discography
- Spare Pear/Mobile Home (1984) Double A-sided single of Peel session recordings, with the Popticians
- I Saw My Dinner On TV (1988) Single with the Popticians
- Saint and BlurrySaint and BlurrySaint and Blurry is an album by John Hegley released in 1993 by Rykodisc.It consists of a mixture of poems and songs. All poems were written by Hegley but some songs were written by Hegley with Nigel Piper.-Track listing:An asterisk indicates songs...
(1993) Poems and music - Hearing with Hegley (1996) BBC audio-cassette taken from the radio series of the same name
- Family Favourites (2006) Poems and music