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John McCullough

@mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social

1.1K followers 750 following 120 posts

Poet. Winner of the Hawthornden Prize for Literature with Reckless Paper Birds. Forward & Costa-shortlisted. Working-class writer. Next book: Crowd Voltage (Bloodaxe, March 2026). He/him. 🏳️‍🌈

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 25

Excited to say my fifth collection of poems, Crowd Voltage, will be published by @bloodaxebooks.bsky.social in March 2026. It's a high-energy book about class, crowds and community. This specially designed cover is by the brilliant queer artist, Villain.

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jul 8

My online Advanced Poetry Workshops course returns in October. Each week I talk on the effects of techniques and we read contemporary pieces. We workshop students' poetry and there are exercises to help produce fresh, surprising poems. www.creativewritingprogramme.org.uk/advanced-poe...

Advanced Poetry Workshops — The CWP

www.creativewritingprogramme.org.uk

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 27

Been working on my next collection Crowd Voltage since 2021, aiming to find fresh ways to write about working-class and queer experiences that would draw on my energetic approach to imagery and phrase-making. Here are some of the writers I’ve gone back to most often…

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 26

Thanks! ⚡️🙂⚡️

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 26

Thanks! ⚡️🙂⚡️

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 26

Thanks Sarah! xx

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 26

Hoorah! 🌈😁⚡

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 26

Thank you Rosanna! :)

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 26

Thank you lovely! xxx

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 25

I hope so! 🙂 I have performed at the South Bank Centre for Outspoken before and taught online with them. (This book is with Bloodaxe but I’m sure I will read with other queer poets published by them like Simon Maddrell who lives round the corner from me.)

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 25

Thanks Doug! It was a lot to ask Villain to produce something so homo it outgays the cover for Reckless Paper Birds but they got there. 🌈😁⚡️

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 25

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Reposted by John McCullough

Litbowl @litbowl.bsky.social · Jun 1

Poem for the new month. From Wendy Xu's book, You Are Not Dead.

#poem #books #writing

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Jun 2

Kim Addonizio. This is the opening of a poem in her fantastic recent collection, Exit Opera (Norton, 2024). I’ve been a fan for a long time and for me this book and the last see her at the top of her game. So wildly imaginative and thoughtful, intimate and funny all at once.

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · May 30

Twenty years since my 2005 author photo. 🙂 Part of my boy band phase. Album includes the hit singles ‘Dreaming Barman’, ‘Ding! Dong! My PhD is Dead!’, ‘Puberty Won’t Leave’ and ‘Nobody, Nobody [Wants My First Book Yet]’.

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Apr 28

Always looking for new ways to stop students looking at smartphones while I'm talking. :)

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Apr 27

OK I’m hiring you as my stylist! 🙂

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Apr 27

Bright orange has always been my favourite colour. :) I wish I could wear it more. My Irish ancestors conferred on me the gift of pasty skin which outside summer tends toward vampiric blue. I still have a pair of bright orange Nike Air TNs though.

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John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Apr 27

Gorgeous.

John McCullough @mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social · Apr 27

Love your photo and caption equally! :)

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Reposted by John McCullough

Rosanna McGlone @rosannamcglone.bsky.social · Apr 23

@mrjohnmccullough.bsky.social I've Carried a Door on my Back for Ten Years is the perfect foundation for tonight's class on redrafting #TheProcessofPoetry #Cantwaittoshare

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Reposted by John McCullough

Caroline Litman @alicemydaughter.bsky.social · Apr 10

A copy of #HerNameisAlice is winging its way to several politicians and members of the House of Lords who have been offered, and have accepted a copy.