The Iron Man

TED HUGHES is widely considered one of the greatest poets of his generation and indeed one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. He was born in Yorkshire in 1930, and was Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death in 1998. Hughes co-founded the Children's Laureateship with Michael Morpurgo, and was founding president of Farms for City Children - a charity that offers urban children the opportunity to live and work on a farm in the heart of the countryside. He was also the driving force behind the Arvon Foundation. In 1974 Hughes was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. In 1977 he was awarded an OBE for services to Literature, and was awarded the OM in 1998. His most widely read classic children's story The Iron Man, has been adapted for both stage and screen, and is cited as one of the greatest children's books of all time.