About David…

David Ratcliffe is a Yorkshire born English Poet, Short Story Writer, Lyricist and writer of Stage Plays, though he was raised in Littleborough, Lancashire from the age of 4.

He joined the Royal Navy in July 1974 and remained on the south coast following his service. In 1983 he began work on HMS Victory as a rigger and was involved on four full refits of the masts, two of which saw him as Mast Headman.

He returned to West Yorkshire in 2019 after an absence of 45 years. 
He began writing in earnest when his performer daughter Lindsay asked if he’d co-write original songs to help with her singing aspirations. Consequently, he went on to write over sixty songs. Sometime along the journey, he moved on to writing poetry and short stories. 

It took until he reached the age of 40 to find that he had something to say for himself poetically, though he continued writing monologues for her to use in acting auditions.
He is a member of an online Zoom poetry group @WorldlyWorders and has been published in several magazines both online and in print.

In 2016 his poem ‘Home Straight’ featured at the Fermoy International Festival. 
The stage play ‘Intervention’ was produced for World Peace Day.
His poetry has been published in the following publications…
Poetry Pacific Magazine, TRR Poetry, Sixteen Magazine, Mad Swirl 
Tulip Tree Review (Print Version) Oddball Magazine, Poem Hunter, THE BeZINE, Creative Talents Unleashed, Drawn to the Light Press, Live Encounters & The Galway Review. 

His poem ‘He Crawled’ was placed third for the Pushcart Prize in the Blue Nib magazine in 2018. Also, in 2018 his poem ‘Pour me a Vision’ featured in VatsalaRadhakeesoon.wordpress.com for Dylan Thomas Day.
Out of hundreds of applicants, his poem ‘Barren Branch’ won a place at NIMHAF (Northern Ireland Mental Health Fest 2021), on the theme of loneliness.