John Cooper Clarke, whose long and inimitable career in poetry began during the British punk explosion of the late Seventies, has been awarded an honorary degree from the University of Salford.
Born in Salford, Cooper Clarke has enjoyed a renewed interest in his unique, gritty work during recent years after being cited as a major influence by a whole new generation of musicians and writers, particularly Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner.
After being handed the title during a ceremony at The Lowry in Salford yesterday (July 18th), Cooper Clarke remarked: “What a thrill – who’d have thought it? Now I’m a doctor, finally my dream of opening a cosmetic surgery business can become a reality!”
“There’ve been lots of positive changes in the city since I worked at Salford Tech in the Seventies, and I’m pleased to be known as Salford’s Bard and to have helped put it on the map,” he continued.
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