James Manlow was appointed in 2013 as the first Poet Laureate for Bournemouth, England. His poetry has appeared in The Independent, Poetry Review, Staple, Orbis, The Rialto, The Interpreter's House, Smith's Knoll, Dream Catcher, The Shop (Ireland), and The Saint Ann's Review (US). In 2011, his poem "Entertaining the Dictator" was shortlisted for the Arvon International Poetry Prize. In 2003, he was selected as one of the Arvon/Jerwood Young Poets. In 2002, his poem "The Dressing" won third place in The Bridport Prize and "The Lazy Maid" won second place in the UK National Poetry Competition. He obtained a First Class degree from the University of Derby, and later an M.A. in Creative Writing (Poetry) from the University of East Anglia. James also writes prose fiction. His first novel "Attraction" (2004) was published in the UK and in the USA. "When We Were Slugs" (2014) is his debut poetry collection from Prometheus Poetry / Parkgate Press.