University to host festive readings and poems show

A popular teacher, author and poet will be delivering some festive readings and stories in Wrexham this Christmas.

Gervase Phinn, who is a feature writer for the Countryman magazine, will appear at Glyndŵr University on Sunday 21 December.

Phinn is best known as the author of the four Dales books. Dubbed ‘the James Herriot of Schools’, these warm-hearted reminiscences about the life of a school inspector in The Yorkshire Dales became instant best sellers and proved highly popular on Radio 4’s ‘Book of the Week’ and ‘Book at Bedtime’ programmes.

Phinn has made numerous television and radio appearances - he is currently a presenter on Teachers’ Television - and has written a range of academic books as well as children’s poetry and fiction.

He taught English in a range of schools for 14 years until, in 1984, he became the General Adviser for Language Development in Rotherham. Four years later he moved to North Yorkshire where he spent ten years as a schools inspector, a time which provided him with much of the inspiration for his books. Later he was appointed Principal Adviser for the county.

He is an honorary fellow of the University of St John at York, Fellow and Visiting Professor at The University of Teesside and honorary fellow of The English Speaking Board. Gervase is also Doctor of Letters of the Universities of Leicester and Hull and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Recently he received the highest academic award of Doctor of the University from Professor Lord Robert Winston, the Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University.

He has four grown-up children and lives near Doncaster with his wife, Christine

Gervase Phinn has been touring the UK’s major theatres since April 2004 playing to full houses at over 150 theatres including Leeds Grand Theatre, Salford Lowry, Truro Hall for Cornwall, Hull New Theatre and Sheffield City Hall. He has also appeared at Preston Guild Hall, Llandudno North Wales Theatre, Salisbury City Hall, Croydon Fairfield Hall, Coventry Warwick Arts Centre and Darlington Civic Theatre among others.

Tickets for An Evening with Gervase Phinn at Glyndŵr University are priced £15.50 (plus booking fee). They are available from www.seetickets.com or Wrexham Tourist Information Centre on 01978 292015.