Richard O’Neill author page

Richard O’Neill biography

Richard O’Neill MBE is a British Romani author, storyteller, and educator known for his contributions to children’s literature and advocacy for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities. Raised in a traditional nomadic Romani family in the North East of England, his upbringing in both nomadic and coal mining environments has influenced his work.

O’Neill’s storytelling draws on Romani oral traditions and personal family histories. He has performed extensively across Europe in schools, libraries, museums, and theatres. His books, many broadcast on national radio, include titles such as Yokki and the Parno Gry, Ossiri and the Bala Mengro, and Polonius the Pit Pony.

Beyond writing and storytelling, O’Neill is a social entrepreneur and educator. He founded National Men’s Health Week and developed the “Nomadic Way” curriculum, combining traditional skills with storytelling to promote cultural understanding and creativity.

In the 2025 New Year’s Honours list, Richard O’Neill was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to education and literature.

Richard O’Neill teaching resources

• Richard O’Neill’s official author-visit information sets out options for virtual sessions by Zoom or Google, in-person storytelling and author days, shared visits between nearby schools, school-cluster projects, fees, travel arrangements and a pre-visit technology check.
• Richard O’Neill’s Story4Writing workshops are available across the key stages and combine oral storytelling, character and plot development, collaborative story-making and written composition through the workshop’s Fun, Fascination, Fabrication and Freedom framework.
• STEP’s The Lost Homework learning resource provides an illustrated animation, Richard O’Neill’s complete reading of the story, prediction questions, comprehension and evaluation prompts, a three-part retelling task, and activities for making scones, stencil patterns, a pony headband and a fact file.
• STEP’s Richard O’Neill literacy videos contain six classroom clips covering the features of a strong story, difficult parts of writing, developing enthusiasm for reading and storytelling, educational influences and advice for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils.
• Child’s Play’s Ossiri and the Bala Mengro resource page links to a free activity PDF for ages 4-9 covering Romani vocabulary, recycling, repairing and reusing objects, and to a craft PDF with instructions for weaving from scrap materials and making recycled musical instruments and shakers.
• Child’s Play’s Polonius the Pit Pony resource page provides a three-page printable activity sheet for ages 5-9 with pit-pony and Romany-horse design templates, plus illustrated prompts featuring eye protection, a bridle and harness, and a mine cart.