Richard Raftery was born in Warwick at the dawn of the Rock n’ Roll era, before moving to Melling in Lancashire at the age of three where his grandfather had been the village blacksmith. He attended the local (Catholic) Primary school (an ‘interesting’ experience) before heading - for further enlightenment - to a grammar school in Bootle.

After leaving school at sixteen he worked in a number of occupations including tax office clerk, labourer and journeyman weaver before eventually training as a teacher – a trade which he continues to pursue, despite being ‘consumed by lack of ambition’.

Richard has been writing and performing his own poetry in Leeds for a number of years, including a number of appearances on local radio. His first published collection 'Smart Boy Wanted' is an intriguing mixture of poems based partly on his experiences growing up in Lancashire and going to school in Bootle. Others are loosely drawn from observations made whilst working as a teacher in various Leeds schools.

A diverse range of issues, from serious to humorous, are addressed including teenage pregnancy, sunbeds, flip-flops, unfortunate trousers and the theft of milk from doorsteps.

Well known on the performance poetry circuit for his acerbic wit and compelling delivery Richard also plays guitar in the Leeds based group Powder Keg, who perform folk music with a flexible outlook and a wide interpretation of the genre!

Richard Raftery lives and works in Leeds and is married with three children.

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