The Sound Collector

Story

Imagine a world without noises – no whistling kettle, no purring kitten, no drumming raindrops. That is the world left behind after a stranger comes to visit, packs up every sound, and takes them away.

Why we chose it

An atmospheric poem, great to read aloud and to inspire children to write poetry of their own.

Where it came from

Roger McGough (b.1937) is an award-winning poet, playwright, broadcaster, and children’s author. After university he was a member of pop group ‘The Scaffold’ between 1963 and 1973. Heavily influenced by the Beat poets, he made his name as one of the ‘Liverpool Poets,’ also including Adrian Henri and Brian Pattern, that were featured in the bestselling The Mersey Sound: Penguin Modern Poets 10 (1967). He even contributed some of the dialogue for The Beatles’ film Yellow Submarine (1968), though he did not receive a credit.

Where it went next

Over the years, McGough has become a successful household name who places emphasis on accessibility, humour, and lack of pretension, though never at the expense of the serious or the literary. McGough has won countless accolades for his poetry, including a Cholmondeley Award (1999) and two Signal Poetry Awards (1984, 1999). He was awarded an OBE in 1997 and made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2004. The Mersey Sound has now sold more than one million copies.

Associated stories

McGough is a prolific writer who has published over 50 books for both children and adults, as well as many plays. His award-winning collections for children include Sky in the Pie (1984) and Bad, Bad Cats (1999). His Collected Poems was published in 2005.