Mick Paynter
Michael Kenneth (Mick) Paynter (born 1948, St Ives, Cornwall) is a Cornish civil servant, trade union activist, and poet.
Apart from a period of study at the University of Newcastle, his home has always been in Saint Ives (Cornish Porthia).
He is a member of Gorseth Kernow, and was initiated as a bard under the Bardic name Skogynn Pryv (Worm's Fool) in 2003 on passing a Cornish language examination after four years of study, largely conducted during train journeys as a trade union representative. The name derives from the nickname of a smuggler's assistant in a local story involving outwitting a Customs man, and was chosen as appropriate as he worked for 32 years in the Inland Revenue. He was Deputy Grand Bard from September 2006, and was installed as Grand Bard in September 2009.
As well as contributions to anthologies, he has written three collections of poetry in Cornish with English translations, and is Cornish Language Editor of Poetry Cornwall / Bardhonyaeth Kernow.
His poetry combines the easy flow of colloquial Cornish with a variety of influences ranging from Afro-American song to Primo Levi and early Celtic literature.[citation needed] He is a frequent contributor to magazines such as Scryfa and Poetry Cornwall / Bardhonyeth Kernow.
Publications
- 2001: Routh a Vaneryow/A Crowd of Banners. Porthia: Pendrivel
- 2001: Michel Corolleur 1895-1942. Porthia: Pendrivel
- 2002: Yn ow Hilyarth Nebjydh /In my Backyard Someday. Porthia: Pendrivel
- 2003: Bardhonyeth Kernow / Poetry Cornwall. 2003-
- 2003: Scryfa; vol. 2. Callington (poem in anthology)[1]
- 2004: And all the World Our Patch: Cornish language poems and others . Redruth: Palores Publications ISBN 0954798538
- 2006: 101 Poets for a Cornish Assembly. Portishead: Boho Press (poems in anthology edited by Les Merton)
- 2006: Nothing Broken: recent poetry in Cornish. London: Francis Boutle (poems in anthology edited by Tim Saunders)
- 2007: Scryfa; vol. 7. Callington (poem in anthology)
- 2007: Kernow Bys Vykken (Cornwall Forever) (a collection set to music)[2]
- 2010: Scryfa; vol. 12. Callington (poems in anthology)
- 2010: Gwydh Meur a Gernow / Great Trees of Cornwall. Redruth: Palores (joint editor with Les Merton)
- 2010 "Cornish Bards of the St.Ives Area/Berdh Kernow an Ranndir Porthia" Gorsedh Kernow Archives& Publications Committee/St Ives Archive Centre(Bilingual foreword)
References
- ^ "Cornish stories are pure gold", Western Morning News Plymouth, December 16, 2003
- ^ "Poet's delivery of Kernewek is music to the ears", Western Morning News, Plymouth, July 24, 2007
- "'Worm's Fool' to be the next deputy grand bard", Western Morning News, Plymouth, August 29, 2006
- "New Grand Bard identifies challenges for the Gorsedd". Western Morning News, Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 11:00
- “Our time is coming' says new Grand Bard.” West Briton 9th Sept 2009.*
- "Grand Bard: Piran Pascoe's column is as false as Jordan's silicone surgery". 'West Briton, Friday, September 18, 2009
- Mick Paynter, Gallery of Grand Bards, Gorseth Kernow
- A Cornish character: Mick Paynter, Grand Bard Cornish World Magazine December 2009
- "Territorial integrity at risk, Grand Bard warns Gorsedd"
West Briton, :September 9, 2010* "Cornish Reflections: An easier way to learn Kernewek" by Mick Paynter
Cornish Guardian; Truro (UK), Mar 10, 2010*
"Cornish Reflections: by Grand Bard Mick Paynter" Cornish Guardian; Truro (UK), Mar 31, 2010 * "THERE'S no word for Jumbo?" by Mick Paynter, West Briton 17/06/2010* "How Cornish lived their lives in paper's early days" by Mick Paynter West Briton 15/07/2010* "Grand Bard Mick Paynter: Everyone must do what is needed" “New sword and book for Gorsedd”West Briton September 2nd , 2010 Article from: West Briton, September 9, 2010 *