John Agard
John Agard was born in 1949 in Georgetown, Guyana (then called British Guiana). He moved to England in 1977 when he became a touring lecturer for the Commonwealth Institute to promote a better understanding of Caribbean culture. Over the course of the next 8 years he visited 2,500 schools - and started writing poetry for children. Since then, he has published more than 50 books of poetry for all ages, stories and non fiction, including A Caribbean Dozen which he also co-edited with his wife Grace Nichols.
His collections for young readers include The Young Inferno, a teenage spin on Dante's Inferno, Einstein, The Girl Who Hated Maths and Hello H20, both illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. His adult collections include Alternative Anthem and his latest, Playing the Ghost Of Maimonides. His first non-fiction, entitled Book, tells the history of the book in the voice of the book. His awards include the Casa de las Americas Poetry Prize, the Paul Hamlyn Award and the 2012 Queen's Gold Medal for poetry. His poems Half Caste and Checking Out Me History have been on the GCSE curriculum since 2002. In 2021, he was awarded the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in Sussex.
Books
Come All You Little Persons
Author: John Agard Illustrator: Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Interest age: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
Captivating and vibrant illustrations complement the lyrical text in this joyous, inclusive story by celebrated poet John Agard. Perfect for reading aloud at bedtime, this book celebrates childhood and the natural world in all its rich diversity.
Einstein, The Girl Who Hated Maths
Author: John Agard
Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 7+
A perfect book for schools in particular, this book is filled with thought-provoking poems that will re-enchant the magic of maths for children.
Going Batty
Author: John Agard Illustrator: Michael Broad
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 8-12
Reading age: 7+
Dyslexia-friendly, super-readable, illustrated story about a girl whose school project (and a hidden colony in the attic) makes her face up to her greatest fear.
Goldilocks on CCTV
Author: John Agard
Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 8+
By turns funny, poignant and insightful Agard’s poems are told with a direct and distinctive voice
Hello H2O
Author: John Agard
Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 7+
A brilliant collection of poems from John Agard that take a traditionally un-poetic subject – science – and imbue it with the sense of the marvellous it truly deserves.
John Agard’s Windrush Child
Author: John Agard Illustrator: Sophie Bass
Publisher: Walker
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 4+
In this bold and vibrant picture book, John Agard’s touching poem Windrush
Child is brought to life for young readers.
My Name is Book
Author: John Agard
Illustrator: Neil Packer
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 9+
Reading age: 9+
If you are intrigued as to how sheep and birds have played important roles in the recording of the written word then this is the definitely the book for you!
Pumpkin Grumpkin
Author: Various Editor: John Agard and Grace Nichols
Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Amusing and bemusing poetry from around the globe. John Agard and Grace Nichols have assembled a bunch of silly poems in this new collection brought to life with quirky illustrations by Satoshi Kitamura.
From classics like The Jabberwocky to great contemporary nonsense like The Computer's First Proverb, there's something for everyone in this vibrant, varied …
The Rainmaker Danced
Author: John Agard Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8+
The exuberant John Agard shares his infectious love for the world and its words in this new collection of poetry for children. The poems are thoughtful and thought-provoking, and like all good children’s books, they inspire questions and discussions.
The Young Inferno
Author: John Agard
Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 12+
John Agard’s mash up of Dante’s Inferno and Aesop’s Fables, with quirky and sometimes horror-influenced illustrations from Satoshi Kitamura, takes young readers through the circles of Hell in an abbreviated version of 13 poem-chapters