John Goodby’s poetry has appeared in numerous journals and publications, among them Angel Exhaust, the Independent, Poetry Introduction 8, Poetry London, Poetry Wales and The Warwick Review, and has won prizes in the Arvon/Observer, Keats-Shelley Memorial Association and Cardiff International poetry competitions.

His collection A Birmingham Yank (Arc, 1998) was described by Sean O’Brien in Stand as ‘read[ing] like a chowder of names laced with methedrine … at once lush and abrasive, Goodby’s music can at moments be as orotund as Stevens and as abrupt as Les Murray.’

The artistic director of the Swansea-based experimental poetry performance group Boiled String, John Goodby is the author of translations of Heinrich Heine and the Algerian poet Adel Guèmar,and of critical studies of Irish poetry and Dylan Thomas.

He teaches at the English Department at the University of Swansea.