Martin Langford was born in Plymouth, Devon, England, in 1952. He emigrated to Australia at age 8. He is a poet, writer for children and cultural manager. He has published seven books of poetry, including: Faultlines, 1991; The Great Wall of Instinct, 1993; Be Straight With Me, 2000; Island, 2000; The Human Project: new and selected, 2009. He also published Microtexts, 2005 (collection of aphorisms on poetry and poetics). The most recent of his books is Ground (P&W, 2015). He is the editor of Harbour City Poems: Sydney in Verse 17882008 (P&W, 2009). Active in poetry organisations, he is the Deputy Chair of Australian Poetry Ltd and poetry reviewer for Meanjin. On several occasions he directed the Australia Poetry Festival.