Wendy's Fans (16)

Wendy Cope

Author profile

born

July 21, 1945 in Erith, Kent, The United Kingdom

gender

female

genre

Poetry

About this author

edit data

Wendy Cope was educated at Farringtons School, Chislehurst, London and then, after finishing university at St Hilda's College, Oxford, she worked for 15 years as a primary school teacher in London.

In 1981, she became Arts and Reviews editor for the Inner London Education Authority magazine, 'Contact'. Five years later she became a freelance writer and was a television critic for 'The Spectator magazine' until 1990.

Her first published work 'Across the City' was in a limited edition, published by the Priapus Press in 1980 and her first commercial book of poetry was 'Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis' in 1986. Since then she has published two further books of poetry and has edited various anthologies of comic verse.

In 1987 she received a Cholmond...more

combine editions
Books by Wendy Cope

Average rating: 4.03 · 423 ratings · 59 reviews · 17 distinct works

	Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis 4.00 avg rating — 166 ratings — published 1986 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Serious Concerns 4.14 avg rating — 102 ratings — 4 editions	My rating:
	Two Cures For Love: Selected Poems 1979 2006 4.24 avg rating — 46 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions	My rating:
	If I Don't Know 3.91 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 2001 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Family Values 3.67 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	My rating:
	The River Girl by Wendy Cope, Nicholas Garland (Illustrator) 3.30 avg rating — 10 ratings — 2 editions	My rating:
	The Funny Side: 101 Humorous Poems 3.43 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1998	My rating:
	Heaven on Earth 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2001	My rating:
	Is That The New Moon?: Poems By Women Poets 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1993 — 3 editions	My rating:
	The Orchard Book Of Funny Poems (Books For Giving) 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	My rating:

More books by Wendy Cope…

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Quotes by Wendy Cope

“My heart has made its mind up
And I’m afraid it’s you.
Whatever you’ve got lined up,
My heart has made its mind up
And if you can’t be signed up
This year, next year will do.
My heart has made its mind up
And I’m afraid it’s you.”
― Wendy Cope, Serious Concerns

12 people liked it

“On Waterloo Bridge where we said our goodbyes,
the weather conditions bring tears to my eyes.
I wipe them away with a black woolly glove
And try not to notice I've fallen in love

On Waterloo Bridge I am trying to think:
This is nothing. you're high on the charm and the drink.
But the juke-box inside me is playing a song
That says something different. And when was it wrong?

On Waterloo Bridge with the wind in my hair
I am tempted to skip. You're a fool. I don't care.
the head does its best but the heart is the boss-
I admit it before I am halfway across”
― Wendy Cope, Serious Concerns

tags: london , love , poetry

8 people liked it

“Everybody in this room is bored.
The poems drag, the voice and gestures irk.
He can't be interrupted or ignored.

Poor fools, we came here of our own accord
And some of us have paid to hear this jerk.
Everybody in the room is bored.

The silent cry goes up, 'How long, O Lord?'
But nobody will scream or go berserk.
He won't be interrupted or ignored.

Or hit by eggs, or savaged by a horde
Of desperate people maddened by his work.
Everybody in the room is bored,

Except the poet. We are his reward,
Pretending to indulge in his every quirk.
He won't be interrupted or ignored.

At last it's over. How we all applaud!
The poet thanks us with a modest smirk.
Everybody in the room was bored.
He wasn't interrupted or ignored.”
― Wendy Cope, If I Don't Know

4 people liked it

See all Wendy Cope's quotes »

Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite Wendy to Goodreads.