J. O. Morgan (born 1978) is an author from Edinburgh, Scotland. The seventh of his volumes of verse, ''The Martian's Regress'' (2020)'','' is set in the far future, when humans "lose their humanity." He has also published two novels: ''Pupa'' (2021) and ''Appliance'' (2022).

Works

Each of Morgan's seven poetry volumes is a single book-length work. His fifth, ''Interference Pattern'', was shortlisted for the

T. S. Eliot Prize The T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry is a prize for poetry awarded by the T. S. Eliot Foundation. For many years it was awarded by the Eliots' Poetry Book Society (UK) for "the best collection of new verse in English first published in the UK or t ...

and his first, ''Natural Mechanical'', won the Aldeburgh Poetry Prize in 2009. The third work, ''At Maldon'' (2014), revisits the Old English epic "

The Battle of Maldon "The Battle of Maldon" is the name given to an Old English Old English literature, poem of uncertain date celebrating the real Battle of Maldon of 991, at which an Anglo-Saxon army failed to repulse a Viking raid. Only 325 lines of the poem are ...

", detailing events that took place on the Essex coast in 991 CE. A recording of Morgan reading it was made for the

Poetry Archive The Poetry Archive is a free, web-based library formed to hold recordings of English language poets reading their own work. The Archive holds over 20000 poems and keeps the recordings safe and accessible so that current and future visitors can ...

in 2014. He has recited the whole work from memory on several occasions. Royal Air Force involvement in maintaining the Airborne Nuclear Deterrent in the early Cold War period forms the basis for Morgan's sixth publication, ''Assurances'' (2018). Morgan's father was in the RAF and he worked with Britain's nuclear deterrent. It was shortlisted for the

Forward Prize The Forward Prizes for Poetry are major British awards for poetry, presented annually at a public ceremony in London. They were founded in 1992 by William Sieghart with the aim of celebrating excellence in poetry and increasing its audience. The ...

and won the Costa Poetry Award, when the judges praised it as "original, compelling, ambitious, highly accomplished and marvellously sustained". Morgan's seventh volume of poetry, ''The Martian's Regress'' (2020), is set in the far future. It considers "what humans become when they lose their humanity," and explores "what a fragile environment eventually makes of those who persist in tampering with it."

Publications

Poetry

*''Natural Mechanical'' (CB editions 2009). *''Long Cuts'' (CB editions, 2011). *''At Maldon'' (CB editions, 2013). *''In Casting Off'' (HappenStance Press, 2015). *''Interference Pattern'' (Jonathan Cape, 2016). *''Assurances'' (Jonathan Cape, 2018). *''The Martian's Regress'' (Jonathan Cape, 2020).

Novels

*''Pupa'' (Henningham Family Press, 2021) *''Appliance'' (Jonathan Cape, 2022).

Awards and recognition

*2022 –

Orwell Prize The Orwell Prize is a British prize for political writing. The Prize is awarded by The Orwell Foundation, an independent charity (Registered Charity No 1161563, formerly "The Orwell Prize") governed by a board of trustees. Four prizes are award ...

finalist for Political Fiction – ''Appliance'' *2020 –

for Poetry (shortlist) – ''The Martian's Regress'' *2018 – Costa Poetry Award (won) – ''Assurances'' *2018 –

Forward Poetry Prize The Forward Prizes for Poetry are major British awards for poetry, presented annually at a public ceremony in London. They were founded in 1992 by William Sieghart with the aim of celebrating excellence in poetry and increasing its audience. The ...

for Best Collection (shortlist) – ''Assurances'' *2016 –

for Poetry (shortlist) – ''Interference Pattern'' *2016 – Saltire Society Poetry Award (shortlist) – ''Interference Pattern'' *2016 – Poetry Book Society Recommendation – ''Interference Pattern'' *2014 – Saltire Society Poetry Award (shortlist) – ''At Maldon'' *2012 – Scottish Poetry Book Award (shortlist) – ''Long Cuts'' *2010 – Scottish Poetry Book Award (shortlist) – ''Natural Mechanical'' *2009 – Aldeburgh Poetry Prize (won) – ''Natural Mechanical'' *2009 –

for First Collection (shortlist) – ''Natural Mechanical'' *2009 – Poetry Book Society Recommendation – ''Natural Mechanical''

References

External links

*
Helena Nelson of HappenStance Press on ''At Maldon''J. O. Morgan reads from ''Interference Pattern''
Royal Festival Hall (15 Jan 2017)
Beth McDonough on ''Interference Pattern''
in ''Dundee University Review of the Arts''
Forward Arts Foundation interview with J. O. Morgan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, J. O. 1978 births Living people 21st-century Scottish poets 21st-century British male writers Scottish male poets Writers from Edinburgh Costa Book Award winners