He was born into a working-class family, but failed the 11-plus exam. His brother is Michael Scammell. He took a succession of menial jobs before becoming a ship's photographer on the RMS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Queen Mary.

He enrolled as a mature student at Bristol University. He taught at the Workers' Educational Association. He moved to the Lake District, with his artist wife, Jackie, and their two sons. In 1975, he moved to Cockermouth to teach at the Newcastle University. In 1991, he taught at Nottingham Trent University.

His first marriage was dissolved in 1996. A year later, Bill married Jan, and they moved to Heathfield Cottage, at Aspatria, Cumbria, where he got stuck into vegetable gardening. Jan survives him, as do his first wife and their two sons.

His work appeared in Granta, and Lives of the Poets,

Poetry

• Stare At The Moon, Bleeding Heart Yard. 1992
• All Set To Fall Off The Edge Of The World Flambard Press 1998

Editor

• American edition Picador USA, 1995

Essays