Edward Storey

Edward Storey (28 February 1930 – 18 November 2018), was an English poet, dramatist and non-fiction writer. He was born at Whittlesey, part of the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire. The Fens inspired much of his work.

Early career Before becoming a full-time writer in the late 1960s, Storey completed National Service and worked in adult education for the Peterborough City Education Authority and the Workers' Educational Association (WEA). His first poetry volume (North Bank Night) appeared in 1969 in the Phoenix Living Poets series.

In an early work, Portrait of the Fen Country (1971), Storey reflected on his childhood understanding of the world as shaped by his Fenland experience. In Fen Boy First (1992), published by Robert Hale Ltd, he gave an account of growing up in Whittlesey and in Fen Country Christmas (1995) he collected a number of stories, legends and fenland superstitions.

Set to music Edward Storey's poems and libretti have been set to music by Trevor Hold, Adrian Williams, David Twigg, Cecilia MacDowell, Trevor Jones, Gabriel Jackson and others, leading to performances and/or recordings. Recent CD recordings of musical settings of Edward's poems are 'Pure Music' featuring Voller String Quartet and mezzo-soprano Zarah Hible, and 'Spirit Songs' featuring soprano Louise Wayman accompanied by pianist Sarah Gard. The music on these recording is by Trevor Jones.

Appreciation "A deeply meditative poet who sees in nature a mirror for the human condition and sensibility.. these are beautifully crafted poems that exist because they have to." (The Poetry Quarterly Review) "You won't find a poet who can quite do what Storey does." (Envoi) "Effortless in its voice, language and poetic form, and in its relationship with the reader... never slight nor dependent on conventional sentiment, but marked by grace or gravitas." (Ambit)