Teach Primary Issue 18.5

www.teachwire.net | 53 TP You travelled the length of the UK as part of your Library Marathon. Are there any particular visits that stand out in your memory? JC On the Isles of Scilly I visited St Mary’s library, which had a little reading nook that looked out onto the sea. I ran an event there with a lovely audience of OAPs, who had wonderful questions about books and writing. At Portland library I learned from a group of school children that their isle used to be a mining community and it was considered bad luck there to say the word ‘rabbit’. (I may have failed to share that my surname, Coelho, means rabbit in Portuguese!) Whilst visiting Jersey library, I was proudly told by librarians how they are regularly inundated with studying teenagers, and as I looked around practically every table was occupied by a teen with their nose in a book. Every library visit underlined for me the vital role libraries play in bringing communities together, and I am so grateful to all the librarians I brilliant free resources created by CLPE. TP As part of the Bookmaker Like You campaign, you’ve helped to showcase creatives from a range of different backgrounds. Do you have any advice for teachers on how to boost representation in school? JC Keep an eye on the long- and shortlists of prizes like The Jhalak Prize, The Inclusive Books Award and The Diverse Books Awards. Following organisations like Booktrust and CLPE on social media will also help keep you abreast of new books by a diverse range of authors. Visit your local library and ask your librarian for recommendations: they are fountains of knowledge for all things books (and beyond). If you have access to the Schools Library Service in your area, make use of it and ask for advice. TP Joseph Coelho is an award-winning performance poet, playwright and children’s author. His books include the critically acclaimed Luna Loves ... series, If All The World Were , and the CLiPPA-shortlisted collection of poems, Overheard in a Tower Block . met who showed me around their gorgeous spaces and told me all about their brilliant services, from board game clubs to health services, exhibition spaces to live performances. If you haven’t visited your local library recently, please don’t delay – there is bound to be a surprise there waiting for you to explore. TP Your Poetry Prompts videos featured guest appearances from a variety of children’s writers. Can you share some of their top tips for inspiring children to write poetry? JC You can catch a whole host of guests on the Poetry Prompts, including a few writers like Michael Rosen, who helped me change a poem by replacing some of the keywords to surprising effect. Konnie Huq showed me the importance of recycling as we penned poems on CD’s, while Chris Smith, who showed us how to read a poem with a professional newsreader voice! You can watch all of the Poetry Prompts on the Booktrust website ( booktrust.org.uk/poetryprompts ) , where you can also download some As his two-year tenure nears its end, Joseph Coelho reflects on his time as Children’s Laureate “Every library visit underlined for me the vital role libraries play in bringing communities together” @ JosephACoelho josephcoelhoauthor thepoetryofjosephcoelho.com T E ACH RE AD I NG & WR I T I NG