Let's Chase Stars Together: Poems to lose yourself in, perfect for 10+

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Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood. The techniques that Matt teaches during the writing sessions are adaptable, and means that children (and teachers!) will be able to apply the skills learnt to any topic they are studying – cross-curricular writing is easy with poetry! Details Preferred age range: Matt’s performances allow children to join in with and memorise some of his poems – and are guaranteed to do it with a smile on their face! He will also talk about the writing process and will leave time for a Q&A session at the end of the performance. Poet Matt Goodfellow is a passionate advocate of introducing poetry to children and young people and here, he talks about the experiences that made him a poet and introduces his new collection, Let's Chase Stars Together. For a teacher, there is a wealth to draw on, adding poetry to story times or to provoke thoughtful discussions in other subjects. For children reading independently, there are many which will resonate with their personal experience and feelings. 'Callum' is a particularly poignant poem which I had the great pleasure of hearing Matt perform and many teachers will recognise pupils of their own in Matt's words. There are poems about difficult aspects of home life - 'A Thousand Hours', 'The Wolf', 'Hey, Mum' and 'Jake'; school life - 'It's Always the Same', 'I Hope It Rains Today' and 'Transition'; poems about feelings, relationships, life and love. Yet Matt manages to achieve a delicate balance of emotion and humour, ensuring the broadest appeal for his poems - and surely encouraging others to express themselves through this form.

From the minute Matt walked into our school there was a buzz of excitement. He engaged every single pupil in the workshops and encouraged them all to step into the fascinating world of poetry. Pupils and staff loved the day and were left with great ideas, inspiration and a real feel good factor. Within the collection are poems about the here and now, and children facing difficult family situations. Why is it important to you to include those poems as well? See if you can find a poem within the collection that contains a pattern - for example a repeated line - steal that pattern and push your life onto it. Change the repeated line to something you want to say - and then you move from imitation to innovation and create something brand new. Matt’s sessions really enthused the children and gave them the confidence to perform (even in a whole school assembly!) All children were able to succeed." - , Michelle Rogers, Deputy Head, All Saints Primary School, Gorton, Manchester KS2 Assembly - Matt’s unique performance style means that children will be engaged from the moment he begins - witty, warm and humorous,Matt begins sessions by playing warm up games that get children into a ‘poetic frame of mind.’ The children will write a class poem together and will then go on to innovate on a model poem which Matt provides, ending the session with brand-new piece of writing that can continue to be developed with the class teacher. As the sessions progress, Matt will provide the teacher with hints and tips as to how to integrate poetry into the classroom in an interesting and engaging way. Children will have the chance to perform their work at the end of the session.

The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells...Prizes are sent to winners prior to publication and so the cover may differ from the image shown, and may be an uncorrected proof copy. Matt Goodfellow's poetry collection is one to lose yourself in, one to share. * Armadillo Magazine * The Promoter accepts no responsibility for entries that are incomplete, illegible, incorrect, corrupted or fail to reach the Promoter by the closing date for any reason. Automatically generated entries or entries via third parties are invalid and shall not be considered.