Patrick Jones is a Welsh poet and author. He is the brother of Nicky Wire from the band the Manic Street Preachers.
Born in Tredegar in 1965 he was educated at Oakdale Comprehensive, Cross Keys College, and the University of Wales, Swansea from 1983-1987. He left with BA Hons in sociology and American literature. Patrick also did work experience in Youth work, nursing aid, literacy officer and lecturer. He has lived all his life in Blackwood, apart from four years he spent in Chicago, Illinois. Patrick set up the Blackwood Young Writers Group based at Blackwood miners institute in 1993 where he is the tutor to the present day. He has also been the Creative Literacy Worker writer for Cynon project since 1997 and a writer in residence at Swansea college since 1998 and teaches adult literacy at Blackwood Community College and Ebbw Vale Institute. Patrick is also responsible for setting up various reading and writing workshops throughout Wales from schools to youth centres. Some public appearances included TV shows, radio readings, interviews and a collaboration with artist David Garner. He also participated in a week long intensive writing masterclass with Arnold Wesker at Hay on Wye literature festival in 1997. Patrick also participated the 1998 Dysfluency Tour and the 1998 and 1999 Manics conventions. He also appeared in BBC Two’s Manics documentary “From There To Here”, part of the “Close Up” series. In April 1999 Patrick staged a Kosovo benefit at Blackwood Miner’s Institute for which Max Boyce, James Dean Bradfield and a cast came together for a night. He also returned to the Hay-On-Wye Festival in 2004 for a discussion with James Dean Bradfield on music, politics and writing.
Published Work
- Political Games, Trewlew Oriel Cardiff old drift mine (1995)
- The Guerilla Tapestry (1995)
- The Protest of Discipline (A collaboration with the artist David Garner, 1996)
- Detritus (1997)
- Mute Communion (1997)
- Commemoration and Amnesia (CD of Patrick’s poetry with music by artists including James Dean Bradfield, Thighpaulsandra and Super Furry Animals. Big Noise Productions) (1999)
- Fuse (A compilation of poetry plus “Everything Must Go” Parthian Books) (2001)
- Against (2003)
- He has also contributed to the anthologies “Out of the coalhouse” and “Red poets society”.
Plays
- Everything Must Go (Sherman Theatre, March 1999, with a tour of UK in 2000)
- Unprotected Sex (Sherman Theatre, October 1999)
- The War is Dead, Long Live the War (Sorted Productions, 2003)
- The Absents (Performed as a ‘work in progress’, Cardiff 2005)
Other Work
- Pictures of the Gone World, a film poem directed by Joanna Hughes (BBC Wales, 1999)
- Co-writer of lyrics to the song ‘Fragments’ on the Manics Street Preachers “Lifeblood” album
- Short Films for the “Lifeblood” songs “1985”, “Solitude Sometime Is” “A Song For Departure” and “Cardiff Afterlife”. The films were available to view on the Manics’ official website for a short time following the release of the album ‘
- The development of Everything Must Go into a film, with Fiction Factory, director Karl Francis and The Manics.
