Topher Mills

Tôpher Mills was born in Cardiff where he still lives. He left school at 16 and went to work in a factory. Since then he has done many different jobs including; labourer, painter and decorator, market worker, plumber's mate, roofer, packer, shop assistant, designer, editor, publisher and journalist. He has travelled extensively around Europe and America and is an acclaimed writer/performer of his work.

A founder member of the Cabaret 246 group, he published ten issues of their magazine. He started the poetry publishing company Red Sharks Press in 1983 and did over 60 publications by 1995. His writing has appeared in many magazines and anthologies and been performed in many venues and festivals. He's also worked in radio, television and film and has written review columns for The Western Mail and The New Welsh Review.

His previous poetry books are; The Bicycle is an Easy pancake, Something's Awry, The Dancing Drayman and Swimming in the Living Room. From 1997 to 2001 he was elected chairman of The Welsh Union of Writers and in 2006 he won an Arts Council of Wales Bursary Award.