Mick Paynter

Michael Kenneth (Mick) Paynter (born 1948, Cornwall, United Kingdom) is a retired Cornish civil servant, trade union activist, and poet. Apart from a period of study at the University of Newcastle, his home has always been in St Ives (Cornish Porthia).

He is a member of Gorseth Kernow, and was initiated as a bard under the Bardic name Skogynn Pryv (Worm's Fool) in 2003 on passing a Cornish language examination after four years of study, largely conducted during train journeys as a trade union representative. The name derives from the nickname of a smuggler's assistant in a local story involving outwitting a Customs man, and was chosen as appropriate as he worked for 32 years in the Inland Revenue. He was Deputy Grand Bard from September 2006, and was installed as Grand Bard in September 2009 until he handed over to Maureen Fuller (Steren Mor) at the end of the Camelford Gorsedd on 1 September 2012. Member of the Cornish Language Board (Kesva an Taves Kernewek) 2006-2015. Chairman Bewnans Kernow 2009-2012,Treasurer Bewnans Kernow 2012-2016.

As well as contributions to anthologies, he has written three collections of poetry in Cornish with English translations, and is Cornish Language Editor of Poetry Cornwall / Bardhonyaeth Kernow. His poetry combines the easy flow of colloquial Cornish with a variety of influences ranging from Afro-American song to Primo Levi and early Celtic literature. He is a frequent contributor to magazines such as Scryfa and Poetry Cornwall / Bardhonyeth Kernow. His collection "A Worm's Folly" received a nomination in the 2012 Holyer An Gof literary awards. He was elected President St Ives Old Cornwall Society at its 2014 AGM and continued until the AGM 2017, he was succeeded by Margaret Stevens.