Walter McCorrisken
{{short description|Scottish poet (1926–2004)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
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| language = English
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| genre = Poetry
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Walter McCorrisken (28 May 1926 – 29 January 2004) was a Scottish writer, self-styled as the world's worst poet.{{cite news| url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12518459.walter-mccorrisken-self-styled-worlds-worst-poet/| title=Walter McCorrisken Self-styled world's worst poet| date=5 February 2004| work=The Herald Scotland| access-date=8 May 2021| archive-date=7 May 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507212358/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12518459.walter-mccorrisken-self-styled-worlds-worst-poet/| url-status=live}}
Writing career
In the mid 1970s, McCorrisken entered a bad poetry competition organized by The Herald Diary in Glasgow. The competition ran for a month and attracted over 1000 entries from across Scotland. However, 259 of the entries were submitted by McCorrisken. He won the competition and claimed the title of Scotland's worst poet.
McCorrisken's career as a writer extended over three decades while he continued with his day job at Glasgow Airport. He appeared on radio and television and was interviewed by Michael Parkinson and Michael Barrymore.{{cite news |last=Lennon |first=Holly |date=2 June 2020 |title=Documentary film made about 'world's worst poet' Walter McCorrisken from Renfrew |url=https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/whats-on/documentary-film-made-worlds-worst-18353037 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508041643/https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/whats-on/documentary-film-made-worlds-worst-18353037 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |access-date=8 May 2021 |work=GlasgowLive}}
The style of McCorrisken's writing is described as gentle, self-effacing and parochial humour.{{cite news| url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18488808.worlds-worst-poet-features-new-documentary-film/| title='World's worst poet' features in new documentary film| work=Glasgow Times| date=2 June 2020| first=Heather| last=Carrick| access-date=8 May 2021| archive-date=8 May 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508040539/https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18488808.worlds-worst-poet-features-new-documentary-film/| url-status=live}}
A documentary film about McCorrisken, The Renfrew Rhymer, {{cite web |title=The Renfrew Rhymer: Walter McCorrisken |url=https://www.oneren.org/rentv/archive/videos/the-renfrew-rhymer-walter-mccorrisken/ |access-date=19 August 2024 |website=oneren.org}} was made by filmmaker Paul Russell with the assistance of McCorrisken's son Richard. It premiered in June 2020.{{cite news| url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18489651.small-screen-glory-scotlands-worst-poet/| title=Small screen glory for Scotland's 'worst' poet| work=The Herald Scotland| first=Victoria| last=Brenan| date=2 June 2020| access-date=8 May 2021| archive-date=7 May 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507212403/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18489651.small-screen-glory-scotlands-worst-poet/| url-status=live}}
Works
- Come back again, hen: a Silver Jubilee poem (1977)
- Cream of the dross (1979)
- Cream of the crackers (1980)
- Cream of the corn (1981)
- Cream of the crop (1982)
- More Punishing Poems from Walter McCorrisken – Scotland's Worst Poet (1984)
- Porridge in my pibroch (1994) audiobook
- Tadpoles in tenements : trials of a taxidermist (1997)
- A Wee Dribble of Dross (1998)
- Hairy Knees and Heather Hills (1998)
References
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External links
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/walter_mccorrisken_poetry/zrk3scw Interview with Michael Parkinson, 1979 (video)]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct3m5nJ5kf8 Walter McCorrisken: The Greatest 'World's Worst Poet', 1995 (video)]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo0PvcMYFgY The Renfrew Rhymer: Walter McCorrisken, 2020 (video)]
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Category:20th-century Scottish poets
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