Poem shortlisted in Carers UK competition & anthology 2025

Carers UK held a 2025 Poetry Competition to mark the charity's 60th anniversary, in which carers and writers were invited to respond to the competition's theme of ‘Caring, family and community’. I was deeply touched to have a poem shortlisted in the competition, judged by poet and author Cheryl Moskowitz, not least because this was the …

Children’s Poetry Summit guest blog: Cuttle & Pasty – Getting Surreal with Collage

If you’ve read any of my poems or books, you’ll know I'm a paid-up member of the surrealism fan club. From a teaching and learning perspective, surrealism can be brilliant for getting around the mind’s unhelpful blocks (such as blanching at the sight of a blank page) and also its repetitive habits (like trotting out …

Children’s Poetry Summit guest blog: “Where Do You Get The Ideas For Your Poems?”

It's the question I’m most often asked as a poet: “Where Do You Get The Ideas For Your Poems?” It can be a tricky one to answer, since poems come from lots of different places and you can’t always pin down what came from where! But I thought I’d give it a go, in a …

Heroes and Villains: Poems About Legends

Out now,  Heroes and Villains is a stunning gift book drawing together legendary poems - classic and contemporary - from around the world. It's compiled by bestselling anthologist Ana Sampson and illustrated throughout in black and white by award-winning former children's laureate Chris Riddell. Folklore and tales have been the lifeblood of every culture worldwide …

Cosy Poems: The Perfect Poetry Collection for Autumn and Winter

Warning - this gorgeous gift book may inspire joy, peace and encouragement! Edited by Gaby Morgan, Cosy Poems is "a glorious collection that pulls together classic and brand-new poems about the things that comfort and nurture us - spending time with friends and family, being outdoors and watching the seasons change, settling in for winter, …

Empathy Lab creates ‘Don’t Hate, Educate’ resources in response to UK riots

"Right now the need for connection, understanding and standing up against hate has never felt more urgent," says Empathy Lab as it launches a set of free resources to help teachers, parents and other educators to grow an empathy-educated generation. You'll find the resources at http://www.empathylab.uk/don-t-hate---educate At the heart of the campaign is the charity's …

Poetry films & empathy: a guest blog for the Children’s Poetry Summit

In an earlier blog for the Children's Poetry Summit I wrote about Making Poetry Films which sparked quite a bit of interest so I thought I’d look at poetry film-making again, this time from a slightly different angle. My poetry collection You Are Not Alone (Troika, 2023), on teen and young adult mental health and wellbeing, has …

‘You Are Not Alone’ selected for Empathy Lab’s Read for Empathy Collection 2024

I'm absolutely thrilled that my poetry collection You Are Not Alone has been selected by Empathy Lab for inclusion in their 2024 Read for Empathy Collection and campaign. The annual Read for Empathy Collection features 65 books for 3-16 year olds, chosen by a panel of judges for their empathy-building power. The books will be …