Matt Goodfellow to explore 'voice and choice' as BookTrust's new Writer in Residence
1 September 2025
Award-winning poet and author Matt Goodfellow will be BookTrust’s Writer in Residence for the next six months.
Matt Goodfellow has been announced as BookTrust’s new Writer in Residence.
The Writer in Residence programme provides a platform for some of the country’s best-loved children’s authors and illustrators to explore and share themes they are passionate about, while inspiring children and their families to discover the joy and lifelong benefits of reading.
During his six months in the role, Goodfellow will be focusing on voice and choice, bringing to life the idea that children thrive when they can choose books that reflect their voices, lives and communities.
“It’s a privilege to be working with BookTrust as their Writer in Residence,” he said.
“My residency theme is ‘voice and choice’ which is something incredibly important to me in the work I do as a poet and author, especially when it comes to meeting young people at events in schools and festivals around the UK.”
We know that children benefit from choosing the books that reflect their voices and communities, and this is the message that I give to young people all the time – that their voice, their story, their life matters.
Matt Goodfellow
Goodfellow added: “Over the next few months, I am looking forward to sharing some of my favourite authors and poets, and exploring all the ways in which books and stories can offer hope and joy to children and their families when they can see their own lives and the lives of people around them inside the pages.”
Goodfellow worked as a primary school teacher in Manchester for over a decade before becoming a full-time poet and author.
He has written poetry collections spanning Key Stages 1 to 4, and his work has been widely recognised for its accessibility, emotional resonance and power to connect with children and young people.
His debut verse novel The Final Year (2023), illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton, became an instant bestseller and went on to win and be shortlisted for multiple major awards including the CLiPPA, the Carnegies, the Branford Boase and the Children’s Book Award. Its sequel The First Year was published in April 2025.
BookTrust’s Co-CEO Annie Crombie said: “We are thrilled to welcome Matt Goodfellow as our new Writer in Residence. Matt’s passion for giving children the confidence to see themselves in stories, and to discover the joy of books that reflect their lives, is inspiring.”
His energy, warmth and ability to connect with children through poetry and performance will bring so much to this residency, and we can’t wait to see the creative ways he’ll help children find both their voice and their love of reading.
Annie Crombie
Goodfellow takes over the Writer in Residence role from Camilla Reid, who focused on early years reading.
The Writer in Residence programme has been running since March 2009 and has previously appointed authors and illustrators including Cressida Cowell, Patrick Ness, Chris Riddell, Nadia Shireen, Dapo Adeola, Michael Rosen, Nick Sharratt, and Patrice Lawrence MBE.
Writer in Residence
Stay up to date with what Matt Goodfellow gets up to during his time as our Writer in Residence.
