John Douglas Mole (born 1941) is an English poet for adults and children, born inTaunton.[1] He is also a jazz clarinetist.[1] Mole graduated fromMagdalene College, Cambridge University, and began his career as a teacher. With the poetPeter Scupham he was co-editor of the Mandeville Press publishing house inHitchin. He married the artist Mary Norman.[2] His papers are preserved atCambridge University Library.[3]
Mole has won several prizes for his poetry, including anEric Gregory Award (1970), theCholmondeley Award, and the Signal Award for children's poetry.[1] He was a writer in residence atMagdalene College, Cambridge and a poet in residence to the Poets Society in theCity of London.[4] He was also a poet in residence for thePoet in the City charity scheme.[5]
Mole's many poems for children include "Variations on an Old Rhyme"[6] and "The Balancing Man". Both of these discuss political issues in a way that points out their relevance to young people.[1]
Treatment is a string of poems that amounts to a personal response to a course ofchemotherapy he underwent.[7]
A reading of his poetry for the Poetry Archive appeared on CD. It was made on 30 April 2003 at the Audio Workshop, London, and produced by Richard Carrington. His published volumes of verse includeThe Love Horse (Eric Morten, 1973),A Partial Light (Dent, 1975) andOur Ship (Secker & Warburg, 1979).[8]
Mole wrote thelibretto forAlban, a community opera composed byTom Wiggall and performed in May 2009 inSt Albans Cathedral.[9] It was performed again inHolborn, London, in the autumn of 2010.[10]
Poems[11]
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