Mick Paynter

Mick Paynter

Paynter as Skogynn Pryv
Born Michael Kenneth Paynter
1948
Redruth, Cornwall
Occupation Civil servant
Genre Cornish Language

Michael Kenneth (Mick) Paynter (born 1948, Cornwall, United Kingdom) is a retired Cornish civil servant, trade union activist, and poet. Apart from a period of study at the University of Newcastle, his home has always been in St Ives (Cornish Porthia).

He is a member of Gorseth Kernow, and was initiated as a bard under the Bardic name Skogynn Pryv (Worm's Fool) in 2003 on passing a Cornish language examination after four years of study, largely conducted during train journeys as a trade union representative. The name derives from the nickname of a smuggler's assistant in a local story involving outwitting a Customs man, and was chosen as appropriate as he worked for 32 years in the Inland Revenue. He was Deputy Grand Bard from September 2006, and was installed as Grand Bard in September 2009 until he handed over to Maureen Fuller (Steren Mor) at the end of the Camelford Gorsedd on 1 September 2012. Member of the Cornish Language Board (Kesva an Taves Kernewek) 2006-2015.

As well as contributions to anthologies, he has written three collections of poetry in Cornish with English translations, and is Cornish Language Editor of Poetry Cornwall / Bardhonyaeth Kernow. His poetry combines the easy flow of colloquial Cornish with a variety of influences ranging from Afro-American song to Primo Levi and early Celtic literature. He is a frequent contributor to magazines such as Scryfa and Poetry Cornwall / Bardhonyeth Kernow. His collection "A Worm's Folly" received a nomination in the 2012 Holyer An Gof literary awards. He was elected President St Ives Old Cornwall Society at its 2014 AGM.

Publications


Cached

References

  1. "Cornish stories are pure gold", Western Morning News Plymouth, 16 December 2003
  2. "Poet's delivery of Kernewek is music to the ears", Western Morning News, Plymouth, 24 July 2007

from: West Briton, 9 September 2010

"Wedding Fair demonstrates proper Cornish ceremony", Article in St Ives Times & Echo,12 June 2015

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