Human townsperson

Liam Bates, Library and Academic Advisor at University of Cumbria, and winner of the Northern Writers’ Award for Poetry 2023, has published his debut collection of poems ‘Human Townsperson’. The collection centres around a heroic quest. The hero? Somebody. The quest’s objective? Unsure. Utilising Bates’ engaging and absurd poetics, Human Townsperson follows the journey of a poet leaving town bearing gear and supplies: a pack full of fantastic weaponry, potions and prescription medication. The work will be precarious and the costs grave, but out in the wilderness for long enough, maybe we’ll remember why we’re here. Liam, originally from the Black Country, now lives in Morecambe with his partner and two guinea pigs. His poems have appeared in publications including Ambit, Bath Magg, Abridged and more. They have been commended or shortlisted in competitions by Magma, Bridport Prize, Creative Future, longlisted in the National Poetry Competition, and have been translated into Spanish and Latvian.