Ian McMillan

This gentleman has come all the way from Barnsley

Photo, Kippa Matthews

The Open Futures poem

Open Futures, Open Futures, Open Futures
Don't close 'em down, huh!

Busy, busy, busy
digging the ground
Education's fizzy
Thinking profound

Is he, is he, is he,
of sound mind?
Whizzy, whizzy, whizzy,
No one left behind.

Eating cous-cous
on the food bus-bus,
Chopping, slicing, dicing
Very enticing

Children asking questions,
Offering suggestions,
They've all got their vests on
in the right direction (repeat and fade)

About Ian McMillan

'An inspiring figure, an encouraging & democratic spirit, a strong & popular poet and one of the funniest people in Britain' Poetry News

Ian McMillan is poet-in-residence for English National Opera, The Academy of Urbanism and Barnsley FC. He's UK Trade & Investment's Poet, Yorkshire TV's Investigative Poet and Humberside Police's Beat Poet. He presents The Verb every week on BBC R3 and he's a regular on Pick of the Week, The Arts Show, Just A Minute, You & Yours and Have I Got News For You? He was recently castaway on Desert Island Discs.

This autumn, Ian was The Poetry Archive's Virtual Poet, interacting with poets throughout the universe from his shiny poetry portal control deck in Barnsley.

Ian is Visiting Professor at Bolton University . He's an honorary doctor of Sheffield Hallam University, North Staffs Polytechnic and most recently University Centre Barnsley - Huddersfield University.

'It cleared me chest something wonderful' Theatre By The Lake, Kendal

'Ian McMillan, the hunter-gatherer of the spoken word...' BBC Radio Cumbria