Poetry Changes Lives by Christopher Burn
Poetry Changes Lives is a page-a-day of history, poetry and inspiration. The book informs the reader about the historical significance of that particular day, introduces new poems and encourages the practice of daily reflection. It appeals to students, the literary minded, those who are interested in little known historical facts (did you know that Wittgenstein…
Poetry Changes Lives is a page-a-day of history, poetry and inspiration. The book informs the reader about the historical significance of that particular day, introduces new poems and encourages the practice of daily reflection.
It appeals to students, the literary minded, those who are interested in little known historical facts (did you know that Wittgenstein went to school with Hitler?!) or anyone who likes to start the day with a short uplifting text.
“A great book to dip into daily for knowledge”
Five Star Review on Amazon By MR ALEX PAUL BURN
A great book to dip into daily for knowledge, intriguing facts and positive thinking. Your loo, toilet, WC, etc needs a copy for those times when you have a moment for reflection!
About the Author
Chris Burn was born in 1940, in Hong Kong, where his father was stationed as a British army officer. With his mother and sisters, he escaped the Japanese invasion by fleeing to Burma, from where they walked to India. His earliest memory is being on a ship to Britain, in a wartime convoy.
He spent his childhood in Yorkshire where he attended Ampleforth College boarding school where he studied classical literature and history. During his teenage years he kept a commonplace book of his favourite poems. He learned about ancient poetry and composed poems in Latin and Greek in an oak panelled classroom.
Unprovided with original learning, unformed in the habits of thinking, unskilled in the arts of composition, I resolved to write a book”. Edward Gibbon
Accountant, Hotelier, Therapist, Author
After school he studied accountancy in London and practiced it in Britain, France and Malta — working for what later became Price Waterhouse Coopers.
He then moved to Scotland where he ran a hotel in Peebles for 10 years. In 2002 he trained as an addiction therapist and now specialises in gambling therapy at Castle Craig rehab clinic near Edinburgh.
His most recent project has been writing Poetry Changes Lives which will be published in December 2015
Chris loves reading about the lives of poets and authors and what made them write. Did you know that Ernest Hemingway usually wrote while standing up, or that Truman Capote wrote lying down, or that Victor Hugo wrote ‘Les Miserables’ in the nude (it kept him at his desk)?
Poetry Changes Lives is his way of sharing all this knowledge and paying homage to the great personalities that influenced him.
The importance of poetry
People who know Chris might say, “Poetry? Chris has never shown any interest in poetry”. This was a private passion that he didn’t share with anyone.
Despite his wealthy accountant’s lifestyle Chris struggled with insecurity and he admits “the only thing that kept me calm was whisky”. Addiction badly affected his career and family life. In 1987 he went into treatment and has been abstinent ever since.
Poetry was always there for him, even in the depths of despair.