Cliff Yates is a freelance poet and teacher. During his time as an English teacher his students were extraordinarily successful at winning poetry competitions. He is the author of Jumpstart Poetry in the Secondary School, "the best aid to the teaching of poetry writing since Sandy Brownjohn's work of the 1980s" (Gordon Wilson in The Teacher) which he wrote during his time as Poetry Society poet-in-residence.

An enthusiastic, experienced creative writing tutor, he has played a leading part in Poetry Society educational initiatives, including the Poetry class project. He has run courses and workshops for schools, colleges, universities, the Arvon Foundation, AQA, NATE, NAWE, the Poetry School, Writing Together conferences, LEAs and the British Council.

Cliff's poetry collection Henry’s Clock won the Aldeburgh first collection prize and the Poetry Business Book & Pamphlet competition. He has published widely and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service. In 2003, he received an Arts Council England Writer's Award. He holds a PhD in Poetry & Poetics and his latest collection of poems is Frank Freeman’s Dancing School (Salt).

FRANK FREEMAN’S DANCING SCHOOL (Salt Publishing, 2009)

JUMPSTART POETRY IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL (Poetry Society, 1999, revised 2004)

EMERGENCY RATIONS (poetry pamphlet, Smith/Doorstop, 2004

HENRY'S CLOCK (poetry collection, Smith/Doorstop, 1999) winner of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival best first collection prize 1999 and the Poetry Business book and pamphlet competition, 1999.

14 WAYS OF LISTENING TO THE ARCHERS (poetry pamphlet, Smith/Doorstop, 1994)

ORANGES: POEMS FROM MAHARISHI SCHOOL (Maharishi School Press, 20001) a TES Book of the Week.

Recipient of Arts Council England Writer's Award 2003.

Poems published in many anthologies and magazines including the Forward Book of Poetry, 2001, Against the Grain (Nelson, 1989), Writer's Awards (Arts Council, 2003), The North, The Rialto, London Magazine, Stand, Neon Highway, Oxford Magazine, Iron, Stride, The Wide Skirt, Harry's Hand, Dog, Smoke, Gists & Piths, Great Works, Stride etc. Short stories commissioned for Manchester Stories 5: Caesura, supplement in City Life Magazine, April 2003 and Hyphen, (Manchester, Comma Press, 2003) Articles on creative writing in the TES (including the Young Poet column, autumn 1999, and Poems for Refugees, summer 2002), English in Education, Writing in Education, the Arvon Journal, Secondary English Magazine, Primary English Magazine, Speech and Drama. Work featured in numerous educational articles including ‘A Few Choice Words from the Guru’ (Guardian 7/10/08) 'Transcendental Dedication' by Kate Clanchy (TES 12/12/97) and 'My Best Teacher' by Joe Broughton (TES 18/6/99). Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 The Learning Curve (12/10/99) and the BBC World Service series Working Out the Words (spring 2001).

Articles on writing poetry in the TES (including the Young Poet column, autumn 1999, and Poems for Refugees, summer 2002), the Arvon Journal, Secondary English Magazine, Primary English Magazine, Speech and Drama. Work featured in numerous educational articles including 'Transcendental Dedication' by Kate Clanchy (TES 12/12/97) and 'My Best Teacher' by Joe Broughton (TES 18/6/99) and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 The Learning Curve (12/10/99) and the BBC World Service series Working Out the Words (spring 2001).

Cliff Yates is an absolutely remarkable workshop leader and teacher of poetry whose own pupils have consistently won prizes in poetry competitions for young people. His book 'Jumpstart' is essential reading for teachers wanting to use poetry to inspire and amaze - and his own poetry is wonderful too.

Cliff is one of the best in the country working as a writer in schools. Highly experienced as a teacher, he can inspire staff as well as pupils through workshops which get to the heart of what writing is all about. I recommend him for work with almost any age, from primary to adults.

Executive Director, Booktrust, London

Cliff Yates is a regular and welcome visitor to Malbank School. He brings with him his unbounded enthusiasm for poetry and his conviction that all students have something to say and the ability to write it down.His own quirky and cleverly crafted poems always go down well with his audiences no matter what age and he has a battery of tricks and strategies to make a poet out of anyone - even the teachers! One of Cliff's main attributes is his flexibility. On his last visit he ran two massive reading, writing and performing sessions with 120 Year 8 and 110 Year 9 pupils in the morning and in the afternoon a 2 hour  workshop with a KS5 writers group as part of our Enhancement programme. The feedback from all the activities was equally positive. Highly recommended.

English Teacher and Head of Performing Arts Malbank School and Sixth Form College, Cheshire