Author Archives: Andrea Reece

Poetry Writing for National Writing Day

National Writing Day is the annual celebration of the pleasure and power of writing creatively, inspiring people of all ages and abilities to try writing for fun and self-expression. This year, we have two poetry resources to help you write Vision themed poems. The first is from poet and National Poetry Day Ambassador, James Carter…

Poets celebrate Home Truths for National Poetry Day

An elephant evacuee, the meaning of “croggy” and “siles”, and the secret missions of baby eels: an England-wide call-out to BBC Local Radio listeners for significant stories, observations and truths that illuminate the places we call home has inspired 13 new poems for the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Day on October 3rd. Find out…

Poetry Booksellers Love

To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, the Booksellers Association and Forward Arts Foundation are pleased to announce Poetry Booksellers Love, a list of 25 favourite poetry books from the last 25 years as nominated and voted for by booksellers in the UK and Ireland. The list includes anthologies and single-author collections, poetry for children,…

The Poetry that Booksellers Love

Discover the 25 favourite poetry books of the last 25 years chosen by booksellers   To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary in 2019, the Booksellers Association and Forward Arts Foundation joined together to announce Poetry Booksellers Love, a list of 25 favourite poetry books from the last 25 years as nominated and voted for…

Speak Your Truth Poem

Congratulations to our #SpeakYourTruthPoem winner, Rami Yasir! Rami has won a £500 cash prize as well as a day’s mentoring at YouTube Studios in London. When asked for their inspiration when writing The Story of my Children, Rami said “I’m interested in how we turn trauma and ugly things into art we call beautiful. I’m…

National Poetry Day announces new book trade promotion for 2019

As part of the celebrations for National Poetry Day 2019 on 3 October, the Forward Arts Foundation, supported by Gardners and Browns Books, has put together four reading lists of poetry to read and share on National Poetry Day and every day. Find out more about the four lists and the 35 recommended new poetry…

National Poetry Day @ 25 Years

This year National Poetry Day marks its 25th anniversary with a mass campaign highlighting poetry’s power to touch on truth – whether intimate or on the grand scale. The ‘In Poetry, Truth’ campaign, which culminates on Thursday 3 October with thousands of poetry events across the UK, is supported by poetry champion and broadcaster Cerys…

National Poetry Day and BBC Local Radio commission 13 new #HomeTruths

National Poetry Day and BBC Local Radio have joined forces to challenge stereotypes and celebrate the delights of the different regions that together compose the United Kingdom. From today, Monday 10 June, leading with National Poetry Day’s 2019 theme of Truth, BBC Local Radio stations from Derby to Devon, Lancashire to London are inviting listeners…

Hidden Voices Poetry Competition 2019

Joanna Miller is a former English teacher and subject adviser. She is the founder of Bespoke Verse, which offers a variety of poetry related gifts, including a ‘Print Your Words’ service for customers’ original work and favourite poetry quotations.To mark National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, Bespoke Verse is running Hidden Voices, a special competition for…

Write a Poem for your Valentine

Award-winning poet and National Poetry Day Ambassador Joseph Coelho has found the way to your true love’s heart (and maybe a lifetime of poetry writing too). Read on!   The most amorous day of the year is upon us. Valentines Day is a day of heart-thumping joy for some and bitter-filled resentment for others. Whatever…

Raymond Antrobus Poet of the Fair London Book Fair 2019

As sales of poetry hit record levels in the UK, the London Book Fair (Olympia 12th – 14th March) is set to explore poetry as the medium of the moment, with a host of special seminar sessions, debates and discussions. For the second year running the LBF is appointing a Poet of the Fair and…

Gardners & Browns Books sponsor National Poetry Day

Gardners and Browns Books back National Poetry Day Forward Arts Foundation is delighted to announce new sponsorship deals with UK book trade wholesaler Gardners and leading education supplier Browns Books. Gardners and its sister company Browns Books are now official partners for National Poetry Day in 2019, its 25th anniversary year. This exciting partnership will…

Betjeman Poetry Prize Partnership

As National Poetry Day celebrates its 25th anniversary, we are delighted to announce a new partnership with The Betjeman Poetry Prize. The Betjeman Poetry Prize is a charity working to promote literacy, foster creativity and provide a platform for new voices, via its annual poetry competition plus a creative learning programme in schools and holiday…

Poetry for a Change: Exploring the new National Poetry Day Anthology

Karen Morris, Senior Lecturer in Primary English, Department of Children, Education and Communities, Edge Hill University, explores Poetry for a Change, the new National Poetry Day Anthology. There are really positive insights on children’s enjoyment of poetry from a recent online survey for National Poetry Day (A Thing That Makes Me Happy: National Literacy Trust,…

National Poetry Day at 25: Tell Me the Truth About Life

National Poetry Day and Michael O’Mara announce poetry call-out for a 25th anniversary collection In a new partnership, Michael O’Mara Books and The Forward Arts Foundation are to publish a collection of poetry to celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary in October 2019. Curated and introduced by poetry lover and BBC presenter Cerys Matthews, Tell…

National Poetry Day at 25: Tell Me the Truth About Life

National Poetry Day and Michael O’Mara Books announce poetry call-out for a 25th anniversary collection In a new partnership, Michael O’Mara Books and The Forward Arts Foundation are to publish a collection of poetry to celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary in October 2019. Curated and introduced by poetry lover and BBC presenter Cerys Matthews,…

Books Are My Bag – poets pick their favourite bookshops

Books Are My Bag is a nationwide campaign to celebrate bookshops. We asked 7 poets to choose their favourite bookshop, and to let us know what’s in their bag today. Ian Duhig‘s favourite bookshop is ‘Waterstones in Leeds, really because of all the events they’ve put on over the years that I have so mch…

Practical Cats and Inconsequential Dogs

Why has Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats had to wait so long – almost 80 years – for a canine companion? There may be a number of reasons. T.S. Eliot himself, a cat lover writing for the cat-loving children of friends, had no equivalent fondness for dogs; he seems, in fact, to have rather…

Comfort/Conflict zones – poetry in military training

Lieutenant David Boyles discusses how the British Army is increasingly reading poetry to develop the ‘thinking soldier’ comfortable with creative problem solving and ambiguity on the modern battlefield. For many people, ‘military poetry’ conjures up sepia tone Tommies or National Gallery generals: somewhere between ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, Rupert Brooke’s ‘The Soldier’, or…

Poetry is the UK’s new force for change

New research finds that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to engage in poetry A new National Literacy Trust report, A Thing That Makes Me Happy: Young People and Poetry 2018, published today, 4th October 2018, reveals that almost half of the 2,948 young people surveyed (46% or 1,537) said they turn to poetry…

Poetry is the UK’s new force for change

New research finds that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to engage in poetry A new National Literacy Trust report, A Thing That Makes Me Happy: Young People and Poetry 2018, published today, 4th October 2018, reveals that almost half of the 2,948 young people surveyed (46% or 1,537) said they turn to poetry…

BBC Local Poets Celebrate Change

POETS CELEBRATE THE CHANGES THAT REALLY MATTER ON NATIONAL POETRY DAY A secret love affair in Cornwall, a tree slung with trainers in Brighton, and the disappearance of the Geordie word “muckle”: a nationwide call-out for stories of the changes that really matter to BBC Local Radio listeners has inspired 12 new poems for National…

Bradford Poets Celebrate National Poetry Day on the Big Screen

Poets of all ages and backgrounds gathered together this year for a studio filming session facilitated by Bradford UNESCO City of Film and Bradford Libraries. The result is 24 exciting short films – with poets using dramatic backgrounds, lighting and props to bring their poetry to life for the screen. The subject matter is as…

Can poetry help our children fix the future? by Simon Mole

Simon Mole is a poet, emcee and theatre maker. He has over 10 years’ experience working with rap and poetry in community and education settings, including projects with Great Ormond Street Hospital and Arsenal FC. In this special blog for National Poetry Day he suggests that poetry can help our children fix the future. It…

Finalists of the 2018 Betjeman Poetry Prize

Congratulations to the six young people who have been announced as the finalists in the 2018 Betjeman Poetry Prize. They are: Sadhbh Barclay Ní Dhaighre (11) from Gaelscoil na Cruaiche, Co. Mayo, Ireland Jan Borysiak (13) from Oxford Spires Academy, Oxford Ide Crawford (12) from Macclesfield (home-schooled) Charlotte Harris (13) from The Mary Erskine School,…

National Poetry Day Set for MASS celebration: NATIONWIDE EVENTS ANNOUNCED

Monday 17th September 2018: National Poetry Day, the world’s biggest 24-hour celebration of poetry, will see poems shared in the tunnels of Cornish tin mines, in the mirrors of Scottish gyms, on Welsh trains and the concourse of St Pancras station, on Newcastle’s metro system and Bradford’s big screens as the people of the United…

Macmillan Children’s Poetry – celebrating twenty-five years

Gaby Morgan is Editorial Director at Macmillan Children’s Books and responsible for their poetry programme. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of their poetry publishing for children, she has a lot to celebrate. In the summer of 1993 Macmillan Children’s Books published two slim anthologies – Doin Mi Ed In – Rap Poems chosen by David Orme…

Poetry For a Change Anthology

“makes for fascinating reading and gives an excellent insight into what lies behind the poems we enjoy and their writers.” Parents in Touch “packed with an exciting variety of poems for children by a top team of fantastic poets.” BookTrust “Irresistible, for all ages.” Guardian Poetry For a Change is our brand new National Poetry…

Chie Hosaka

Meet the artist responsible for our 2019 In Poetry, Truth look. We are really pleased with our new TRUTH logo and designs, and hope you agree that they are fresh and gorgeous to look at, and capture the essence of truth and ambiguity that poetry does well. They have been created by illustrator Chie Hosaka. Chie…

Any Change? Poetry in a Hostile Environment

“In an increasingly hostile environment for migrant communities, it’s important to make connections for mutual support”, says Ian Duhig, and what better way to explore such connections than through poetry? With support from the Forward Arts Foundation and the David Oluwale Memorial Association, Ian ran a series of poetry workshops in Leeds, bringing together members…

Warm-up for the BBC Teach Poetry Live Lesson, with poet Joseph Coelho!

Poetry is getting its own BBC Teach Live Lesson and Joseph Coelho couldn’t be more excited. On National Poetry Day, 4th October, he’ll be online, live with the brilliant BBC Presenter Katie Thistleton helping schools up and down the country get funky with poetry! Find out more, and get your poetry brain in gear with Joe’s special black-out poetry…

‘I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree’

We are excited to celebrate the publication of I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree, a wonderful collection edited by Fiona Waters and published by Nosy Crow. This delightful collection is perfect for children looking to explore more of what poetry has to offer, and is modelled after a collection loved by many as children….

Join the UK’s biggest classroom at 2pm on National Poetry Day

BBC Live Lessons, the UK’s biggest classroom, is hosting a special event at 2pm on National Poetry Day, Thursday 4th October. Featuring poetry reading, performances, and critical analysis of similes and metaphor, this free interactive show will broadcast live into schools across the UK. It will be led by award-winning performance poet, author and National…

National Poetry Day announces new 36 book promotion

Today National Poetry Day, Britain’s national campaign for poetry, announces its dedicated book trade promotion for a second year running, highlighting 36 inspiring poetry books in three wide ranging categories: new collections, poetry for book groups and children’s poetry. The campaign’s aim – to enable all to enjoy, discover and share poetry – is supported…

Subject to Change topical poems from the Barbican Young Poets

What do we know today, and what are the unknowns of tomorrow? Subject to Change at the Barbican invites twelve young poets to speak to our changing world, one for every month of 2018. Part of the Barbican’s 2018 Season, The Art of Change, which explores how artists respond to, reflect and can potentially effect…

Limpsfield Grange School – A Blog Post by Rachel Rooney

A few years ago I chanced upon a TV documentary about Limpsfield Grange School ( a unique residential secondary school for 11-16 year old girls with autism).  I was very taken by the work done there, and the cohort of refreshingly individual pupils who attended. And, although I’m an experienced special needs teacher (and the…

Karl Nova CLiPPA Winner 2018

Poet Karl Nova has won the CLiPPA 2018 for his debut collection, Rhythm and Poetry, published by Caboodle Books. Grace Nichols, Poet and Chair of the CLiPPA 2018 judges said of the winning book: “This book really stood out for me with its refreshing use of the rap genre, its musicality, its immediacy and thoughtful…

Change Films for Young People

‘Progress’ by John Agard (Resource link: https://bit.ly/2HkK5WR)   ‘A Love Letter to the Stars’ by Ruth Awolola (Resource link: https://bit.ly/2xHfnr6)   ‘The Duelling Duo’ by Joseph Coelho (Resource link: https://bit.ly/2J2dEkJ)   ‘Moonrise’ by Sarah Crossan (Resource link: https://bit.ly/2sxuqPp)   ‘Hare’s Night Song’ by Sue Hardy-Dawson (Resource link: https://bit.ly/2JilzaC)   ‘Poetry?’ by Karl Nova (Resource link: https://bit.ly/2JqqEkv)

#PoetryForAChange – BBC Local Poets

Share stories, inspire poems From Monday 18th June, BBC Local Radio is teaming up with 12 specially chosen poets across England to create a dozen new poems for broadcast on National Poetry Day on October 4th. The theme this year is Change, so we are inviting everyone to suggest a change that deserves to be celebrated…

“URGENT, ENGAGED AND INSPIRATIONAL” THE SHORTLISTS 2018 FORWARD PRIZES FOR POETRY

Nuclear stand-off, new-born lambs, sex and Hollywood blockbusters, addiction – Britain’s most coveted poetry awards, the Forward Prizes for Poetry feature shortlists dominated by “urgent, engaged and inspirational” voices tackling complex subjects with brio. The chair of the 2018 jury, the writer, critic and broadcaster Bidisha, said: “In reading for this year’s Forward Prizes, the…

We are Writers – of poetry

Teachers, here’s a suggestion – turn your pupils into published poets and authors with We Are Writers. We Are Writers gives children the unique opportunity to see their writing printed in a real book. With We Are Writers, any child can become a published author or poet in a book they can treasure for years…

Poetry For a Change – a National Poetry Day anthology

We are delighted to announce the publication of a brand new National Poetry Day anthology. Otter-Barry Books will publish Poetry For a Change on 6th September, well in time for National Poetry Day. Poetry For a Change features original poems by each of the following poets: Deborah Alma, Joseph Coelho, Marjorie Lotfi Gill, Remi Graves…

Announcement of the 2018 CLiPPA shortlist

Our partners CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) have announced the shortlist for the 2018 CLiPPA, the children’s poetry award. Judges Grace Nichol, Kate Wakeling, Imogen Lycett Green, Charlotte Hacking and Anthony Anaxagorou have chosen these six great books: John Agard: The Rainmaker Danced, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, Hodder Ruth Awolola, Victoria Adukwei Bulley,…

Poetry market is growing as audiences – and poets – diversify

The verdict from the first-ever Poetry Summit at London Book Fair ‘The poetry market is growing as audiences for poetry – and poets – are diversifying,’ said speakers at the first ever Poetry Summit at London Book Fair on Wednesday. 2017 marked the best sales on record for poetry books in both volume and value,…

Momtaza Mehri announced as London’s New Young People’s Laureate

Congratulations to 24-year-old Momtaza Mehri who has been named as London’s new Young People’s Laureate. Momtaza will work with Spread the Word for a year on youth-focused residencies across the capital and will front a tour in six outer London Boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Kingston, Bromley, Redbridge and Sutton. In her new role, she…

IMTIAZ DHARKER ANNOUNCED AS LBF’S POET OF THE FAIR

The London Book Fair (LBF) is delighted to announce Imtiaz Dharker as its first ever Poet of the Fair. Imtiaz Dharker’s latest book, Luck Is the Hook, her sixth from Bloodaxe, is published next week. Imtiaz Dharker will be at the Fair on Wednesday 11 April and will be in conversation about her work in…

Keep reading, keep drawing, keep writing – and your imagination will expand

Well done to all the children who wrote a poem for the Imagine a Poem Competition run in association with Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Amnesty International. We asked National Poetry Day Ambassador and artist Sophie Herxheimer to read and review them. Here’s what she had to say: ‘I very much enjoyed reading all the…

John Lennon’s Imagine inspires children’s award-winning poems

National Poetry Day in association with Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Amnesty International UK ran a special competition this year asking children to write a poem inspired by the theme of Freedom, and in particular John Lennon’s song Imagine, which is now the basis for a beautiful picture book, illustrated by Jean Jullien and with…

Imagine a Poem the competition winners

For National Poetry Day 2017 in association with Frances Lincoln and Amnesty International UK, we ran a special competition asking children to write a poem inspired by the theme of Freedom, and in particular John Lennon’s immortal song Imagine, which is now the basis for a beautiful picture book, illustrated by Jean Jullien. Thank you…

BBC Local Radio and National Poetry Day win SILVER at the ARIAS

BBC Local Radio and National Poetry Day have won Silver in the Best Branded content or partnerships category at the 2017 ARIAS – the Audio and Radio Industry Awards – which aims to recognise talent, innovation and excellence across the entire audio and radio industry. Awarded for their 2016 campaign, BBC Local Radio and National…

Amani Saeed wins Art Speaks poetry competition

Scarborough Art Gallery painting inspires ‘Jesus Christ Goes Clubbing’ To many it is a familiar scenario. Matthew Arnold Bracy Smith’s The Disrobing (Despoiling) of Christ (after El Greco) vividly captures the moment of Jesus’ trial by the Pharisees, just moments before he is stripped and tortured. As the title suggests, Smith’s style and composition of…

WIN NATIONAL POETRY DAY RECOMMENDED TITLES

WIN NATIONAL POETRY DAY RECOMMENDED TITLES Tweet us your favourite poetry and use our hashtag #NationalPoetryDay to win 10 incredible poetry anthologies To celebrate National Poetry Day 2017, Thursday 28 September, we’re giving you the chance to win ten of our recommended poetry books. Be in the running to win the following incredible titles: Ten…

Bradford Poets on the big screen for National Poetry Day

BRADFORD POETS GO ON LOCATION TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL POETRY DAY Poets from across the district came together on Bradford’s big screen today (THU) after going out on location to film their own verse in iconic places across the city to mark National Poetry Day. Nineteen poets young and old were filmed in City Park, City…

VisitEngland commissions contemporary poets to create new works for National Poetry Day

To mark National Poetry Day (28 September), VisitEngland has commissioned two contemporary poets, Remi Graves and Andrew McMillan, to create new ‘England poems’, celebrating London and Manchester respectively, with accompanying videos set in each city. With a rise in spoken word scenes across the country, VisitEngland partnered with National Poetry Day for the project, as…

Mass outbreak of verse on National Poetry Day

National Poetry Day kicks off with the launch of a new BBC poetry and performance festival and report of a fresh boom in poetry book sales Dr John Cooper Clarke, Kate Tempest, Hollie McNish and Simon Armitage line up alongside a host of poets and spoken-word artists ready to enjoy, discover and share poetry 12…

The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2018 launches on National Poetry Day

The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2018 launches today, 28 September, to coincide with National Poetry Day 2017. Run by leading poetry magazine The Rialto, in partnership with the RSPB, BirdLife International and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, the competition is open to original submissions written in English by entrants aged 18 years and over…

National Poetry Day 2017 & a mass outbreak of verse

National Poetry Day kicks off with the launch of a new BBC poetry and performance festival and report of a fresh boom in poetry book sales Dr John Cooper Clarke, Kate Tempest, Hollie McNish and Simon Armitage line up alongside a host of poets and spoken-word artists ready to enjoy, discover and share poetry 12…

A Primary School Poetry Festival

National Poetry Day ran a week-long mini poetry festival in four Hull primary schools this year – and now you can do so too. All the participating children had the chance to write and perform their own poems. To learn more, just download the brilliant activities developed by five wonderful poets working with the students…

Recommended Publications 2017

In 2017 we teamed up with poetry publishers to create four lists of recommendations. You may not think you like poetry, but you that’s just because you haven’t met the right book yet… Browse the lists below, we’re sure you’ll find lots to appeal, whatever your tastes, and watch out for our recommended new collections…

10% off Poetry Book Society school membership

‘The Poetry Book Society is a great place for discovery… I wish my school library had offered me such poets‘ – Gillian Clarke, GCSE Syllabus Poet and Former National Poet of Wales To celebrate National Poetry Day our partners the Poetry Book Society are offering 10% off all school memberships. Poetry Book Society school membership…

Congratulations Kate Wakeling! Winner of CLiPPA 2017

Congratulations Kate Wakeling, winner of the CLiPPA 2017 (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) for her first collection for children, Moon Juice, illustrated by Elīna Brasliņa, published by The Emma Press. Rachel Rooney, Poet and Chair of the CLiPPA 2017 judges praised the winning book; ‘Moon Juice is a book brimming with surprises. Some of the poems…

Celebrating National Poetry Day 2017: Contains Strong Language

Contains Strong Language, a poetry festival representing the hugely vibrant mix of poetry in the UK today will kick off celebrations for National Poetry Day 2017. Taking place in Hull and running from National Poetry Day, 28th September to 1st October, Contains Strong Language will be accompanied by a season of programmes across BBC TV,…

Celebrating National Poetry Day 2017: Contains Strong Language

Contains Strong Language, a poetry festival representing the hugely vibrant mix of poetry in the UK today will kick off celebrations for National Poetry Day 2017. Taking place in Hull and running from National Poetry Day, 28th September to 1st October, Contains Strong Language will be accompanied by a season of programmes across BBC TV,…