OXFORD’S poetry grand slam winner David MacArnold is a man with a story to tell.

Just a few years ago, he was homeless and living on the streets of London.

But now the 60-year-old is studying for a degree at Ruskin College and triumphed in a regional competition with his work.

He won the Hammer and Tongues Grand Slam poetry regional final and will now face competitors from around the country in a grand final.

Slam poetry is a type of live performance poetry.

Mr MacArnold said: “A lot of the stuff I do is about the homeless and marginalised people in society.

“When it comes to writing about the marginalised, the dispossessed and people living with addictions, I know what I’m talking about and that gives me a bit of an edge.”

Mr MacArnold, who performs under the name ‘Davy Mac’, got involved in writing when he visited the Crisis charity in London.

From there he was put in touch with Ruskin College and is currently studying English language, creative writing and critical practice.

He lives in residential accommodation at the college and said although he found some of the academic work hard, staff had the “patience of saints”.

It was starting this degree that helped him to return to poetry-writing, he said.

He said: “I’ve written poetry on-and-off my whole life, but it is only recently that I’ve got back into it properly.

“Poetry slams are great. It is bringing an old art back to where it belongs – with the people.”

In a poetry slam contest, competitors have three minutes to perform their own material in front of the audience and judges.

The two with the highest scores then compete in a ‘read-off’ for three minutes each.

Mr MacArnold said: “It was quite nervewracking getting up there. Luckily I knew my material well and so didn’t need to read it.

“It gives you a real confidence boost. And everyone is supportive. There were only two points between first and last this time, so that is how high the quality is.”

The Oxford competition was held at the Skylight Cafe, in George Street on June 12.

The winners from each area, which will see 3,000 people taking part, will compete at the East End’s oldest surviving Victorian Music Hall in May.