Phyllis April King is an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

. She was involved in writing much of Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler was a Scottish poet, songwriter and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential radio programme, and later for Andy Kershaw's programme...

's later material and appears on King Cutler, Dandruff

Dandruff (album)

Dandruff is an album by Ivor Cutler, originally released in 1974. It was the first of three LPs that Cutler released through Virgin Records in the mid-1970s; Cutler had signed to the label after an appearance on Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom, which Virgin had released earlier that year...

, Velvet Donkey

Velvet Donkey

Velvet Donkey is an album by Ivor Cutler, originally released in 1975 on Virgin Records. Cutler is joined on the record by Fred Frith who plays viola on several tracks, and by Phyllis King who reads six of her own poems and short stories and is also credited with designing the album cover.-Track...

and Jammy Smears

Jammy Smears

Jammy Smears is a studio album by Ivor Cutler, originally released in 1976. It was the last of the three albums he released on Virgin Records, and as with the previous two he is joined by Phyllis King, who reads six of her own poems and short stories....

.

King, like Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler was a Scottish poet, songwriter and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential radio programme, and later for Andy Kershaw's programme...

, worked as a teacher, in her case, with special needs pupils.

King is an accomplished and exhibited artist and designed many of the Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler was a Scottish poet, songwriter and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential radio programme, and later for Andy Kershaw's programme...

 album covers.

King has published a number of poetry and children's books.

Personal life

King was in a long-term relationship with Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler was a Scottish poet, songwriter and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential radio programme, and later for Andy Kershaw's programme...

for over forty years up to his death in 2006 though they did not live together permanently, preferring to retain their independence.

King has one daughter and lives in Wiltshire, England.

Poetry

• Dust - Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Morden Tower Publications, 1978.
• Close Views - Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Morden Tower Publications, 1980.

Children's Books

• The Hungry Cat – London: Walker, 1986. (Illustrated by Phyllis King)
• Apple Green and Runner Bean – London: Walker, 1993. (Illustrated by Phyllis King)