(Richard) Noel Taylor’s creative world was always a complex mix of music and words. As an active musician, Taylor focuses on improvisation, playing instruments in the clarinet family.
“Moving to Lisbon freed me up, gave me a voice,” Taylor says. “It allowed me to see the UK from a distance, sometimes with affection, but often with a sense of embarrassment, as the country continues its withdrawal from Europe.
“I used to think that I needed something special to say in order to write a novel, but coming here gave me the time and space to discover that a life spent on the fringes of art, music and academia has provided me with a richness of experience.
“There is an affinity between how I write words and the process of making improvised music. When both forms flow freely, it seems to bring me closer to the drama of life, as if an electrical charge suddenly infused the everyday and routine with energy and meaning.”
Achievements:
Long listed for the Exeter Prize, 2020
Long Listed for the Alpine Fellowship 2020
Long Listed for the Bedford Prize 2024
Short listed for the Exeter Prize 2022
Short listed 2020, Writers’ Forum
Short listed 2021, Writers’ Forum
Short listed 2021, Writers’ Forum
“The Squeaky Wheel”, published in issue 294, Writers’ Forum, October, 2022.
“Mr Featherstone’s Hat”, published (31/10/2023) in the ‘2023 Hull and Back Anthology‘
“Duffield”, published (09/11/2023) for the Bournemouth Writing Prize, Anthology “Fresh Air”.
“Bamba”, published in Beyond Words Magazine Issue 50 2024.