Francis McCrickard

I was born into a family and a community where story and anecdote were vital ingredients of daily life, a faint but important remnant of celtic oral culture. My home was in West Cumbria, England, a town called Cleator Moor, known widely as Little Ireland because of the unusually high number of people there who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. University, in a fitful manner, confirmed me in the idea that I could write. In the main, poetry preoccupied me then and along with a couple of others, I founded the Poetry Society and started a magazine - Plain Poetry - at the then very young University of East Anglia.

I have taught English at secondary schools in Britain, Zambia and Malawi, worked in local radio, in publishing, at national level for the youth services and have helped run a busy retreat centre for young people. I am married to Jean and have three children and six grandchildren.

Writing? I have:

• scripted a ten-part comedy-adventure serial, THE ALIEN NEXT DOOR, for BBC Television’s Education Department.

• provided story outlines for Warner Brothers’, FRIGHTMARES, a television drama series for teenagers.

• written for the BBC Comedy Script Unit and contributed material to television comedy shows including THE BALDYMAN,

NAKED VIDEO, and SCOTCH AND WRY.

• adapted stories and drama for Radio 4 as well as presenting magazine programmes and contributing original sketches,

monologues and plays to local radio.

• written and presented educational videos: FAITH STORIES 1; FAITH STORIES 2 & SEX EDUCATION FOR BOYS.

PUBLISHED WORKS

Educational programmes:

LOVE MATTERS, Veritas - sex and relationships education

“an excellent new resource” Newsboard

FAITH QUESTIONS, Veritas

“anyone working with young people will find this book most helpful” Intercom

“… manages to ensure the maximum opportunity for what Clive James might describe as the high-tech, high-touch, ultra-sonic, micro-digital, media-bombarded young of today to get in touch with themselves and in the process discover the God within.”

The Furrow

Fiction:

THE BOY AND THE BOOK, Veritas (a children’s story) “delightful; captivating” The Universe

THE DEAD ARE LISTENING, Spindlewood (a novel for young adults)

“a stunner of a book... one of the most intelligent teenage stories to be published for some time”

Financial Times

“a powerful, passionate, deeply disturbing novel which deserves to find an audience among readers of all ages... not a book to be ignored”

Junior Bookshelf

THE DEAD ARE LISTENING has been published in translation in Denmark and Brazil.

SUPERDAD, in the anthology, LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON, (MY DAD’S A PUNK – U.S. print) Kingfisher

“Twelve short stories by YA authors… explore the primal connection between fathers and sons… Authors such as Ron Koertge, Tim Wynne-Jones and Francis McCrickard explore father-son relationships in moving stories set in the past, present, and future… these stories convey the depth and breadth of what it means to be a male in a family. A strong collection.”

Booklist

“The stories are funny, truthful, poignant, and bittersweet...Gives teens a realistic picture of the variety of father/son relationships.”

School Library Journal

“Thought-provoking, humorous, and wise.”

Books for Growing Minds

THE RESIDENTIAL in the anthology, MY KIND OF SCHOOL, A & C Black

“Looking at what it is like to be a child in today's primary schools, 'My Kind of School' covers a whole range of experiences which are brought to life in a series of sparkling stories.”

Goodreads

AS BUSY AS…, in the anthology, UNDER THE WEATHER, Frances Lincoln

“A thought-provoking collection emphasising the importance of individual, as well as group initiatives. It isn’t too late to save the world!”

Book Trust

Recently, I have become interested in Flash Fiction. I was a winner in the Bath International Flash Fiction awards in October 2019, with THE WILD WEST, subsequently published in the anthology, WITH ONE EYE ON THE COWS and was short listed for the 2021 awards with EASY PICKINGS, published in the anthology, SNOW CROW. I was a prizewinner in the 2024 Scottish Arts Trust Awards with IN TIME, published in the anthology, THE OUTLIER. "... beautiful... creates a whole world... so much detail... powerful...fabulous use of dia;ogue... characterisation so deft... depth of vision" - judges' comments

I was also short listed for the 100 word Blink Pot micro-fiction competition with my, A BRIEF HISTORY OF MY FAMILY'S ENCOUNTERS WITH CACTI/CACTUSES.

My short stories, A FAMILY GATHERING and THINGS HAPPENED have been long listed, the former at the Frome 2020 Festival and the latter in a Retreat West competition. THE HUNTER GATHERER reached the long list of the Strands short story competition.

NOVEL LIST - all available through Amazon

THE DEAD ARE LISTENING "... a stunner of a book" Financial Times

SACRIFICE "Writing for young adults is a notoriously difficult genre but in "Sacrifice" Francis McCrickard handles it masterfully. The reader is captivated by the strength of the major characters, who are meticulously drawn." Amazon review

THE WARREN "The slow detailed scenes are absolutely superb... Brilliant stuff... So much detail and observation. They complement the action wonderfully. - Charlie Sheppard, Random House Children’s Books

THE GLASS CHALICE "The dramatic and exciting narrative, the strong and authentic characters and the vivid descriptions of the settings of Ireland and Egypt combine to make this a fascinating, vivid and enthralling novel." Amazon review

EXPATS " A beautifully crafted tale. Expats by Francis McCrickard would make a wonderful film. There are strong leading characters, spirited dialogue and some wonderful settings. Amazon review

WHATEVER "I lapped up this book in a day and a half!" I liked the incremental introduction of characters and the slow reveal of their personalities. Amazon review

THE AGE OF REASON "...an absolutely absorbing story, beautifully conceived and crafted with great skill." Amazon review

THE AGE OF REASON, was runner-up as Lakeland Fiction Book of the Year, 2023.