Born in Montserrat in 1939, E.A. MARKHAM has lived in many parts of Europe, though Britain has been his home since 1956. Active in theatre and in literature -- he is a story-writer as well as a poet -- he is currently Professor of Creative Writing at Sheffield Hallam University, edits the magazine Sheffield Thursday, and directs the biennial Hallam Literature Festival. His most recent book of poems is Misapprehensions (Anvil, 1995), and of stories, Taking the Drawing-Room through Customs (Peepal Tree, 1997).