Biography:

Cornish personality Les Merton is a author, poet, reviewer, performer and publisher. He is also the editor of Poetry Cornwall/Bardhonyeth Kernow and has written the following books:

Cornflakes and Toast (poetry)
Missus Laity's Tay Room (Cornish dialect)
The Spirit of a King (A study of the Cornish Chough)
Light The Muse (poetry also recorded on CD
The Official Encyclopaedia of the Cornish Pasty (humour)
Oall Rite Me Ansum (Cornish dialect)
As Yesterday Begin (poetry)
Adders in Cornwall (fact & folklore about this snake)
Dark Corners (Cornish noir)

Les enjoys performing and reading at poetry gatherings and festival, he also gives talks to writing and other groups.

He was made a Bard of the Gorseth Kernow (The Cornish Gorsedd) in 2004 for services to Cornish Literature. His Bardic name is Map Hallow (Son of the Moors)

ACTIVITIES:

Les Merton-Fact File

Poetry published/accepted by the following U.K. magazines:

4th Dimension, 4Word, A Bard Hair Day, Acorn, Advance, The Affectionate Punch, Airings, Amber Silhouttes, At last, Awen, Bad Poetry Quarterly, Bailey's Island, Bard, The Black Mountain Review, The Black Rose, B.M.L. Borderlines, Braquemard, Breathe, Brobdingnagian Times, The Burning Bush, Candelabrum, Chillout, The Coffee House, Coffee House Poetry, The Cornish Banner, Cornwall Today, Competazine, Crystal, Curlew, Current Accounts, Cutting Teeth, Decanto, Dial 174, Dyskans, Earth Love, Eclipse, Envoi, Erbacce, Exile, Fabric, Fan The Flames, Fire, First Time, Freehand, Garbaj, H.Q Poetry Magazine, Helicon, Inclement, Indepenent on Sunday ABC Magazine, Island, The Interperter's House, Iota, Jazzclaw, Ju Ju, Krax, Lateral Moves, Leeds Poetry Weekly, Linkway, Links, Lookout, Mersey Arts Monthly, Moodswing, Neon Highway, Nerve, New Vision, Old Cornwall, The Once Orange Badge Poetry Supplemant, Outlaw, Panda, Parasight, Pause, Pendragon, Pennine Platform, Phoenix New Life Poetry, Poetic Hours, Poetic Licence, Poet In The Round, Poetry Monthly, Poetry Now, Poetry Nottingham International, Poetry Scotland, Poet Tree, The Poly, Psychopoetica, Pulsar, Purple Patch, Quantum Leap, Reach, Reflections, Rhyme Arrival, Rhyme Time, Seam, Sepia, Skald, Slacker, Slipstream, Solo Survivors, South, Splizz, Springboard, Triumph Herald, Under Surveillance, Voice and Verse, Voyage, Walk this World, Weyfarers, The Yellow Crane.

Poetry published/accepted by the following overseas magazines:

FreeXpresSion (Australia), Micropress Oz (Australia), New England Review (Australia), Positive Words (Australia), Dancing Barefoot (Belgium), Jones Av (Canada), Creature Features (Cyprus), Flagburner (Finland), Litspeak (Germany), Anthology of World Literature (India), The Green Lotus (India), Journal of Indo-Asian Literature (India), Mandakini (India), Metverse Muse (India), Poetica Indiana (India), The Quest (India), Voice of Calcutta (India), Zenith (India), Le Voci Della Luna (Italy), International (Italy), Layalama Online Magazine (Nepal), International Poets, (Netherlands), Kokako (New Zealand), Romantics Quarterly (USA)

Newsletters: John Harris Society, Falmouth Poetry Group, Writing Writer's Newsletter Open Learning Centre, Penwith & Kerrier Mind.

WWW Sites:
Active Writers, Exposed, Writing Writers

Short stories published in the following magazines and newspapers:
B.M.L. Chillout, Cornish World, Creature Features (Cyprus), Crystal, Dial 174,
Four Tuw, Linkway, Lookout, Manchester Evening News, Monomyth, Scryfa, Spotlight, Support Cornwall.

Articles and Book Reviews by L.M. published/accepted in the following:
Anchors Aweigh, Animal Crackers, Animal Prints, Anthology of World Literature (India)The Black Rose, Breathe, The Cornish Banner, Creature Features (Cyprus), Dial 174, Linkaway, Poetry Cornwall, Reach, Solo Survivors, Spotlight, Triumph Herald.

Books written by Les Merton.
Cornflakes and Toast ISBN 1-900726-72-6 The National Poetry Foundation June 2000
Missus Laity's Tay Room ISBN 0-9539594-0-6 (October 2000.) Palores Publications
The Spirit of a King ISBN 0-9539594-3-0 (August 2001) Palores Publications
Light the Muse ISBN 0-9539594-5-7 (April 2003) Palores Publications
The Official Encyclopaedia of the Cornish Pasty ISBN 0-9539594-8-1 (July 2003) Palores Publications.
Oall Rite My Ansum Published by Countryside Books ISBN 185306 814 4 (October 2003)
As Yesterday Begins Published by bluechrome ISBN 1-904781 - 30 - 6 (March 2004)
Adders in Cornwall Published by Palores Publications

Poetry/Short Stories and interviews on Radio:-
BBC Radio Bristol: Trevor Fry Programme 6.4.98 to 10.4.98 incl. 21.4.98 & 17.8.98.
Duchy Hospital Radio 1998, 1999, 2000.
BBC Radio Cornwall: Paul Wills 17.6.00
BBC Radio Cornwall: Chris Blount 21.08.00
BBC Radio Cornwall: Freddy Zapp, The Big Juke Box 30.9.00
BBC Radio Cornwall: Chris Blount 28.11.00
BBC Radio 4: Today Programme 6.6.01
BBC Radio Cornwall: Chris Blount 19.6.01
CKFM 107 John Grierson 17.7.01
BBC Radio Cornwall: Chris Blount 23.10.01 re 'Spirit of a King'
BBC Radio Cornwall: Tim Hubbard 6.11.01 'In the Company of Ravens'
BBC Radio Cornwall: Chris Blount re Support Cornwall magazine interview 9.7.01
CKFM 107 John Grierson re Support Cornwall magazine interview 13.07.01
BBC Radio Cornwall: Chris Blount re One & All Arts Special interview 20.11.01
BBC Radio Cornwall and WWW: Chris Blount 29.09.02
BBC Radio Cornwall: Martin Bailie 25.07.03
PirateFM: Sue Smith Re Oall Rite Me Ansum 23.09.03
BBC Radio Cornwall and WWW: Tim Hubbard Re Oall Rite Me Ansum 26.10.03
BBC Radio Cornwall: Martin Bailie 17.05.04
BBC Radio Cornwall: Denis Nightingale 04.09.04 re Being made a Bard
BBC Radio Cornwall- Cornwall Connected 05.09.04 re Being made a Bard
BBC Radio Cornwall - Cornwall Connected 14.11.04 Alex Full re Pasty
BBC Radio Cornwall: Martin Bailie 17.11.04 re Portloe book

Poetry Exhibited at:-
June 1997 and June 1998 Lady Killigrew Festival Poems in the Window
October 2000 National Poetry Month at Shire Hall Bodmin

Competition Organising:-
1999 Editorial and Organising, 'The Cornish Hundred' C.S.V. Media, Truro.
1999 Judge and Organising, Renato Giorgi Competition. Helston Town Council.
2000 Co-ordinator and Judge 'Paul Smales Poetry Competition' Falmouth.
2002 Judge Falmouth Schools Poetry Competition.
2002, 2003, 2004, Poetry Cornwall Competition.

Arts and Poetry Events Organising:-
Redruth Arts Night. 23.08.00. 29.11.00. and 28.03.01. 19.06.01

Results from Competitions:-
1998 Cornish Gorsedd: First Prize for Dialect Verse
1998 Cornish Gorsedd: Second Prize Verse by a Cornish Poet:
1998 Renato Giorge Poetry Awards (Italy) Second Prize
1999 Cornish Gorsedd: First Prize for Dialect Verse
1999 Cornish Gorsedd: Second Prize for Dialect Prose
2000 Cornish Gorsedd: First Prize for Dialect Verse
2000 Cornish Gorsedd: Commended for English Verse
2000 Linkway Magazine: Best Poem (November issue competition)
2001 Eisteddfod of Cornwall: First Prize for English Prose
2001 Forward Press Top Hundred Poets Award
2001 Cornish Gorsedd: First Prize for Dialect Verse
2001 Cornish Gorsedd: Third Prize for Dialect Prose
2001 Cornish Gorsedd: Second Prize for English Short Story
2002 Cornwall County Music Festival: Second Prize Verse Speaking Open
2002 Cornwall County Music Festival: First Prize Verse Speaking Own Composition
2002 Cornwall County Music Festival: Second Prize Dialect Verse Speaking
2002 Dehwelans: First Prize for Computer Art
2002 Dehwelans: First Prize for Dialect Prose
2002 Dehwelans: Second Prize for Dialect Verse
2002 Cornish Gorsedd: First Prize for Dialect Verse
2002 Cornish Gorsedd: Third Prize for Dialect Prose
2002 Cornish Gorsedd: Highly Commended for Cornish Essay
2002 Holyer an Gof (book award) Commended for The Spirit of a King
2002 Ottakars & Faber Truro, Adult Poetry Competition, Runner-up
2002 Hastings International Poetry Festival Competition, Highly Commended.
2003 Springboard Competition 51: Poetry Runner up
2003 Cornish Gorsedd: Highly Commended for Dialect Verse
2003 Cornish Gorsedd: Commended for English Verse
2003 Ottakars & Faber Truro, Adult Poetry Competition, Runner-up
2004 Writing Writers Poetry First Prize - Febuary
2004 Esethvos Kernow Photography - Commended
2004 Esethvos Kernow - Cornwall County Music Festival English Verse - Distinction
2004 Lookout/Chillout Short Story Competition - Commended
2004 Lookout/Chillout Poetry Competition - Commended
2004 Gorseth Kernow - Cornish Dialect Verse - Third Place
2004 Gorseth Kernow - English Verse by Cornish Poets - Highly Commended
2004 Gorseth Kernow - Cornish Essay In English - Highly Commended
2004 Skyline Poetry Competition July - Second Place

Performance poetry at the following venues:-
07.10 98. Guildhall Helston. 19.11.98. Dorchester Central Library.
25. to 27 June 1999 Purple Patch Convention, Barlow Theatre Langley.
1999/2000 Regular appearances at Jacobs Ladder Pub, Falmouth
1999/2000 Regular appearances at Arts Club, Penzance
1999/2000 Regular appearances at Vibes, Penzance
28 June and 1 July 2000 Maple Leaf Cafe, Bodmin Festival
29.07.00. Burras Community Hall 23.08.00. Redruth Arts Night
16.09.00 Roskear Church, Funday
18 and 20 September Norway Square, & 20.09.00 Seasons Cafe, St Ives Festival
21.09.00 Salt House Gallery, St Ives Festival
23.09.00 Western Hotel, Compere 'Poetry Slam' & 23.09.00. Lifeboat Inn, St Ives
30.09.00. Wine and Words, Falmouth 21.10.00. Lowender Peran, Perranporth.
24.10.00. Friends of Self Direction, at The Watersports Centre, Falmouth.
28.11.00 Falmouth Bookseller 29.11.00 Redruth Arts Night
09.12.00 Wine and Words, Falmouth 16.12.00 Casa Moor Lodge, Altunan
13.01.01 John Harris Society Troon 18.01.01 Arts Club, Penzance
02.02.01 Old Cornwall Society, Redruth 08.02.01 Phoenix Theatre, Exeter
22.02.01 Bodmin Arts Night 02.03.01 Poets Anonymous, Croydon, Surrey
28.03.01 Redruth Arts Night 06.04.01 Words and Wine, Falmouth
20.04.01 Old Cornwall Society, Liskeard 28.04.01 Penlee Centre, Penzance
07.05.01 Western Hotel, St.Ives.
15.16 and 17 th June 01. Barlow Theatre, Langley, Birmingham
19.06.01. Redruth Arts night 07.07.01 Maple Leaf Cafe, Bodmin
21.07.01 Just Cornish Books St. Just 16.08.01 Lanner Good Companions
22.08.01 U3A Camborne Community Center, 07.09.01 Athenaeum Club Falmouth
15.09.01 Lifeboat Inn, + Salthouse Galley, + The Wink Bar, St Ives Festival
21.09.01 Salthouse Gallery, St Ives. 25.09.01 One & All Arts Redruth
29.09.01 Opening of The Moor Falmouth 05.10.01 Athenaeum Club Falmouth
15.10.01 Townswoman's Guild Redruth 20.10.01 Lowender Peran Perranporth
23.10.01 Health Club, Redruth 20.11.01 One & All Arts Redruth
24.11.01 St.Ives Folk Club 07.12.01 Athenaeum Club Falmouth
01.02.02 St Euny Feast, Redruth 27.02.02 One & All Redruth
02. 03.02 St.Just in Roseland 08.04.02 Discovery Centre Looe
24.04.02 Pengegon WI 02.05.02 Hayle U3A
03.05.02 Dehwellans, Falmouth. 15.05.02 One and All Arts Redruth
22.05.02 Penryn W.I. 25.05.02 Falmouth Writer's Forum
23.06.02 Poetry Plus 7 Festival, Croydon 06.07.06 Green Festival Falmouth
26.to 28 July Barlow Theatre Langley 12.08.02 St Martins, East Looe
31.08.02 Falmouth Literary Festival 01.11. 02 Croydon Black Bull 02/03.11.02 Hastings Festival. 11.11. 02 Cornwall College
23.01.03 Friends of Helston Museum 20.03.03 Reading Room, The Lizard
13 & 14.04.03 Weymouth Arts Centre, 01.05.03 Camborne/ Probus club 06.05.03 St Column Minor Village Hall 14.05.03 Porthleven WI
11.06.03 Bodmin Community College 12.06.03 Trelowarren Antique Soc.
18/20 .07.03 Oxford festival 25.08.03 Newlyn Fish Festival,
04.10.03 Poole Dorset 19.11.03 Cornwall Centre Redruth,
24.11.03 Cornwall College 20.01.04 Camborne Senior Citazens Club
11.02.04 Portleven WI 18.03.04 Celtic LeagueRedruth R.C.
18.11.04 Boslowick, Falmouth 29.03.04 St Mawes
28.05.04 Goonhavern OC 18/19/20 Barlow Theatre Langley,
17.07.04 Dartington
28.09.04 Newquay WI
1.10.04. Paula Brown
06/07.11.04 Yeltin Hastings
18.11.04 Boslowick, Falmouth
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Future Bookings
01.02.05 Hayle East WI
02.03.05 St Lawrences S/club
10.03.05 Sheffield WI
14.04.05 Mylor WI
15.04.05 St Tudy

Les Merton as a publisher
2001 Ring Three Times for the Kitchen Maid:- Jenny Hamlett:- Palores Publications
2001 I am a River:- Diana Manning:- Palores Publications
2001 Dreams That Remain:- Peter Hollywood:- Palores Publications
2001 Support Cornwall Magazine :- one4ALL publications
2003 Cats of Tregoyne:- Caroline Palmer - Palores Publications
2003 Windfalls Weighing Down The Heart - Liz Diamond Palores Publications
2004 Black Swan - Geoffrey Clarke - Palores Publications
2004 Reflections - Diana Manning - Palores Publications
2004 Another Penwith Day - Jacqueline Pritchard - Palores Publications
2004 Word Pictures - Fay C Davies - Palores Publications
2004 All the World our Patch - Mick Paynter - Palores Publications
2004 Portloe - Keith Johns and Mike Rule - - Palores Publications

Les Merton as an editor
2002 Bardhonyeth Kernow/Poetry Cornwall published by Palores Publications
Issue One March 2002 - Issue Two July 2002 - Issue Three November 2002,
Issue Four March 2003 - Issue Five July 2003 - Issue Six October 2003
Issue Seven March 2004 -Issue Eight July 2004 - Issue Nine October 2004

Coming Soon from Les Merton
Dark Corners to be published by bluechrome