“Peter Sansom is an island of enthusiasm in a sea of indifference; a cloud of delight in an unthinking sky, a seahorse of excitement in a lagoon that frequently says nothing exciting is happening in poetry today so I will go back to bed. The island, the cloud and the seahorse are all you need for poetry, as Pound said to Eliot.”

— Ian McMillan

Peter Sansom is a poet, teacher and editor, and founder and co-director of The Poetry Business.

He has published five collections of poetry with Carcanet, two pamphlet collections, a children’s poetry book, and two writing textbooks.

His first collection was a PBS Recommendation, and he was a winner in the 2016 Cholmondeley Awards for Poets.

Peter has led writing workshops in hundreds of schools and workplaces, been Writer in Residence for Marks & Spencer and The Prudential and regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. He also taught the MA Poetry at Huddersfield for 10 years, was Fellow in Creative Writing at Leeds University, and leads monthly Writing Days and the advanced Writing School course at The Poetry Business.

As editor of Smith/Doorstop Books and The North magazine, Peter has provided intensive editorial support to hundreds of poets — many of whom have gone on to achieve international recognition, earning him a reputation for discovering and nurturing new talent.

He has four children and four grandchildren, and is married to the poet Ann Sansom.