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Phil Gardner (born 29 July 1973) is a British writer, playwright and journalist. He lives in Brighton, East Sussex, where he writes regularly for The Argus website[1] and The Kemptown Rag,[2] based in the Kemptown district of Brighton
Early life
editPhil Gardner was born in Hastings, East Sussex, and grew up in Basildon, Essex. He attended Southend High School for Boys and Woodlands School in Basildon.
The Poddington Peas
editIn 1992 Gardner was invited to write for the BBC's animated children's television show The Poddington Peas. He was involved in the development of two new sets of characters, The Bugz and The Freshwater Friends, which were intended to be introduced to an American audience under the title The Wonderful World of Poddington. The project, which was to be produced in conjunction with HIT Entertainment, was ultimately abandoned and no episodes featuring the new characters were ever made.[citation needed]
Plays
editGardner has written a number of plays, the first of which, Internet Cafe (2002) has also been turned into a movie screenplay. Be Worth It (2003) was acclaimed by both the Royal Court and the Soho Theatre in London, but perhaps his most successful play is Ledgers (2003), a one-act comedy taking as its theme the subject of depression and suicide, which has been performed in both the UK and US.[3]
Micro Fiction
editGardner's Micro Fiction has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and has featured on the curriculum in a number of US high schools,[4] as well as appearing on the Contemporary English syllabus at the University of Lyon in France.[5]
Mirkin Topp
editIn November 2004, Gardner took part in the National Novel Writing Month, producing the fantasy novel Mirkin Topp and the Hair of the Dog.
The Peter Marlin Story
editIn November 2006, the Hoax-Slayer website revealed Phil Gardner to be the author of The Peter Marlin Story, an elaborate online hoax written in 2004 and purporting to be a journalist's account of his dealings with a serial killer. Gardner has since admitted to its authorship on his own blog, and has also written of his mild loathing of the piece.[6]
Mulled Whines
editGardner's personal blog, Mulled Whines, gives a humorous and ironic account of his daily life, and has been running since January 2003. In September 2007 it was nominated for a Brighton Web Award.[7]
Depression
editGardner suffered from clinical depression for much of the late 1990s and has written extensively about his experience of the illness and the prejudice encountered by its sufferers. He is a supporter of Mind and has campaigned for the equal treatment of people with mental health problems, particularly in relation to employment.
References
edit- ^ The Argus Archived 12 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine – Articles by Phil Gardner
- ^ The Kemptown Rag – Articles by Phil Gardner
- ^ 'Ledgers' – performance in November 2006
- ^ English Assignment at the Roy C. Ketcham High School, New York, 29 April 2007
- ^ Short Stories syllabus Archived 25 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine from the "Langue Anglaise Contemporaine" course at the University of Lyon, France
- ^ The Peter Marlin Story – Gardner admits authorship on his blog, 10 November 2006
- ^ Brighton Web Awards 2007 Archived 30 July 2012 at archive.today – Nominated Websites