Poetry for Children

After five years' teaching in two Melbourne high schools, I taught English in Paris during the 1970s. Returning to London in 1979, I taught in various London schools. Post-1990, I've taught creative writing, especially poetry. I started writing poetry for children in 1985.

Qualifications - B.A., Dip. Ed. (1963) - University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia.

From 2001-2008, I was Education Officer for Writers Inc. Writers Inc, a London-based poetry and fiction writing, performance and workshop group has presented a very popular and wide-ranging writing programme and competition for many years. Unfortunately, at the end of 2007, Arts Council funding was cut and Writers Inc can no longer continue.

PUBLICATIONS - Poetry for Children

Anthologies:

The Poetry of War, 1914-1989	(B.B.C.,1990)
Poetry Street 3	(Longman, 1991)
Sing Freedom!	(Faber, 1991)
Other Worlds	(BBC, 1991)
Shades of Green	(Julia MacRae Books, 1991)
Science Poetry	(Wayland, 1991)
Can You Hear? Poems for Oxfam	(Pan Macmillan, 1992)
Houses and Homes	(Wayland, 1992)
The Much Better Storybook	(Red Fox, 1992)
Them and Us	(Bodley Head, 1993)
Wordplay	(B.B.C., 1993)
The Longman Book Project	(1994)
It's Raining Cats and Dogs	(Blackie, 1994)
A Trunkful of Elephants	(Methuen, 1994)
Otherworlds	(Faber, 1995)
Through a Window	(Longman, 1995)
Paws and Claws	(Hutchinson, 1995)
Somewhere in the Sky	(Nelson, 1996)
A Glass of Fresh Air	(Collins, 1996)
A Noisy Noise Annoys	(Bodley Head, 1996)
Wordwhirls	(O.U.P., 1998)
The Unidentified Flying Omelette	(Hodder, 2000)
The King's Pyjamas	(Belitha Press, 2001)
The Apple-Raid	(Macmillan, 2001)
Ramshackle Rainbow	(Macmillan, 2001)
Toothpaste Trouble	(Macmillan, 2002)
Poems for Year 4	(Macmillan, 2002)
The Works 2	(Macmillan, 2002)
Hubble Bubble	(Hodder Children's Books, 2003)
Jumpstart	(David Fulton, 2004)
Page to Stage	(David Fulton, 2005)
The Poetry Store	(Hodder Children's Books, 2005)
The Works 4	(Macmillan, 2005)
The Big Book of Christmas	(Macmillan, 2005)
She's All That: Poems About Girls	(Kingfisher, 2005)
The Works, Key Stage 1	(Macmillan, 2006)
The Works, Key Stage 2	(Macmillan, 2006)
Heinemann Poetry	(Harcourt Education, 2007, Australia)

Radio:

1992-1993 - Writing and presentation of 3 Wordplay children's programmes (7-9 years) for B.B.C. Radio 5.

Workshops:

Poetry workshops with children during my teaching career (1964 onwards) but especially since 1990. . .

W.H. Smith/Poetry Society Poets in Schools' Scheme, 1990-1995.
Tate Gallery, Word and Image Project - October, 1994.
Haringey Literature Festival - Railway Fields, multi-media event: ecologically-orientated. - 1st Saturday in July - 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004.
Middlesex University/Haringey Arts Council Poetry in Schools - working in various Haringey schools on a theme - June, 1997, June, 1998, June 1999, November 2001 - May, 2002.
Railway Fields' Writer in Residence, July-October, 2002.
Bruce Castle Museum, N17, February, 2003.
Railway Fields Poetry Day – July, 2007
Numerous Workshops in Schools and Libraries.

The Word Festival - Workshops:

Poetry in the Garden Poetry/Sculpture Project in conjunction with the Carving Workshop, Cambridge - Town Quay, Barking, January-March, 1999

Lea Valley Regional Park Authority

Collaboration with Anita Rivera, sculptor; workshopping with junior school children - preparation of and presentation of poems for Sun Scroll spiral path at Tottenham Marshes - May-June, 2000

Competitions:

Adjudicator of Barnet Poetry Competition - 7-11s and 12-16s. 1993 - 2000. 2005 -
March 29th, '08 was the Prizegiving Day for the 2007 competition for the Juniors (7-11s & 12-16s) and the Seniors. I will be judging the junior sections again for the 2008 Competition, Entry form available on the BBAC website http://www.artsinbarnet.org.uk. Each year, this Competition discovers young poets of great promise and enthusiasm.

Readings:

Readings in many Book Weeks, Festivals and Workshops.

To Contents - Top