Gerard Benson published ten collections of poems and appeared in over a hundred anthologies and many magazines. As a member of The Barrow Poets he gave literally thousands of readings, both live and in the media. He was the first (20th Century) poet-in-residence at The Wordsworth Trust, and a brilliant tutor on countless residential courses.

Gerard held a number of British Council appointments and was recorded in early 2014 for the Poetry Archive. His work received several prizes, including the Signal Poetry Award, and he was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. For many years he was Bradford’s first (and only) Poet Laureate. Gerard died in April 2014, just after his 83rd birthday.