Julian Turner
Encyclopedia
Julian Turner is a British
poet
and mental health
worker. Turner was born in Cheadle Hulme
, Stockport
, then moved to Cheshire
in 1955. He now lives in Otley
, Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, with his partner
and their daughter.
He was educated at New College, Oxford
(matriculated
1974) and Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Julian was the Chief Executive of Leeds Mind (until autumn 2010.
His poems have been published in periodicals including Poetry London
, The Reater, and The Realto, and in The Ring of Words: Poems from the Daily Telegraph Arvon
International Poetry Competition 1998 (introduction by Andrew Motion
, Stroud
: Sutton, 1998)
In 1993, he won First Prize in the Nortwords poetry competition for his poem Whale Bone.
In 2002, his collection Crossing the Outskirts was published by Anvil Press Poetry
. It was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation (2002) and was shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prize
(Best First Collection) (2002). A number of poems in the collection deal with mental health
issues. For example, 'Tennis Ball' is about suicide
and 'The Director's Cut' is about self-harm
. The poems in this collection observe traditional conventions of rhyme
and metre.
In 2004, he won a Bridport Supplementary Prize
for his poem 'The Gas Poker'.
His second collection, Orphan Sites, was published by Anvil Press Poetry
in 2006.
He was anthologised in Bloodaxe's Identity Parade (New British and Irish Poets), edited by Roddy Lumsden, in 2010
His third collection, Planet-Struck was published by Anvil in January 2011 and was also a Poetry Book Society recommendation.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
worker. Turner was born in Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southwest of Stockport and southeast of the city of Manchester. It lies in the Ladybrook Valley on the Cheshire Plain, and the drift consists mostly of boulder clay, sands and gravels...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, then moved to Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
in 1955. He now lives in Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, with his partner
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
and their daughter.
He was educated at New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
(matriculated
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
1974) and Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Julian was the Chief Executive of Leeds Mind (until autumn 2010.
His poems have been published in periodicals including Poetry London
Poetry London
Poetry London is a London-based literary periodical. As Poetry London: A Bi-Monthly of Modern Verse and Criticism it was founded by Tambimuttu and the first issue was dated January/February 1939.In a new form the magazine is still in print....
, The Reater, and The Realto, and in The Ring of Words: Poems from the Daily Telegraph Arvon
Arvon Foundation
The Arvon Foundation is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which promotes creative writing. It is based in the Free Word Centre for literature, literacy and free expression in London.-History:...
International Poetry Competition 1998 (introduction by Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...
, Stroud
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
: Sutton, 1998)
In 1993, he won First Prize in the Nortwords poetry competition for his poem Whale Bone.
In 2002, his collection Crossing the Outskirts was published by Anvil Press Poetry
Anvil Press Poetry
Anvil Press Poetry is an independent poetry publisher based in Greenwich, south-east London. It was founded in 1968 by Peter Jay and specialises in contemporary English poets, with a leavening of Irish and American, and in a range of translated poetry, from ancient classics to modern and...
. It was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation (2002) and was shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prize
Forward Poetry Prize
The Forward Poetry Prizes were created in 1991. The aim of the prizes is to extend the audience for contemporary poetry. Until the T.S. Eliot Prize remuneration was increased to £15,000 plus £1000 to each of nine runners-up, the Forward was the United Kingdom's most valuable annual poetry...
(Best First Collection) (2002). A number of poems in the collection deal with mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
issues. For example, 'Tennis Ball' is about suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and 'The Director's Cut' is about self-harm
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
. The poems in this collection observe traditional conventions of rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
and metre.
In 2004, he won a Bridport Supplementary Prize
Bridport prize
The Bridport Prize International Creative Writing Competition was founded in 1973 and has steadily grown in stature and prestige. Today many thousands of entries are received from over 80 countries. In many cases a win in the Bridport Prize has led to further successes and helped to launch new...
for his poem 'The Gas Poker'.
His second collection, Orphan Sites, was published by Anvil Press Poetry
Anvil Press Poetry
Anvil Press Poetry is an independent poetry publisher based in Greenwich, south-east London. It was founded in 1968 by Peter Jay and specialises in contemporary English poets, with a leavening of Irish and American, and in a range of translated poetry, from ancient classics to modern and...
in 2006.
He was anthologised in Bloodaxe's Identity Parade (New British and Irish Poets), edited by Roddy Lumsden, in 2010
His third collection, Planet-Struck was published by Anvil in January 2011 and was also a Poetry Book Society recommendation.
Sources and further information
- David Harris, Review of Crossing the Outskirts, Bookslut (July 2003)
- Anvil Press Poetry
- Limelight Issue 2 (August 2003)
- EnCompassCulture
- Poetry prize shortlist unveiled, BBC News (8 July 2002)
- Belinda Cooke, Two from Anvil (Review of Ruth Silcock, Biographies etc. and Julian Turner, Orphan Sites), Stride Magazine (February 2007)
- Jeffrey Side, Review of Julian Turner, Crossing the Outskirts, Stride Magazine (March 2005)
- Peter Dale, ed., Oxford poetry, Oxford Today: The University Magazine vol. 19, no. 2 (Hilary Term 2007), p. 41
- Julian Turner, 'What is Recovery?' (p. 11), 'Opinion' (p. 12) in Leeds Mind Newsletter
- Bridport Prize 2004
- Survivors' Poetry Newsletter no. 1 (September/October 1998), p. 4
- Poetry Express (Winter 2002/03)
- Art at Leeds Mind
- Julian Turner, Memorandum from Leeds Mind, House of Lords-House of Commons Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill, Session 2004–05, Volume III: Written evidence, pp. 150–151