It’s an epic celebration of the power of poetry in all its forms. Through the campaign, Joseph broke down the fear often associated with reading and writing and showed why poems are for everyone, alongside the joy that writing, reading and performing poetry brings to our lives.
Poetry Prompts is back!
‘Poetry Prompts’ was Joseph Coelho’s flagship project as the prestigious Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022–2024.
“Poetry Prompts is my invitation to the nation, young and old, to become poets. We turn to poetry at weddings, funerals and births because it goes beyond mere words and translates the soul. But there is baggage associated with poetry that I want everyone to put down – to allow everyone to reclaim the birth right of poet. So often I’ve met children and adults scared to put pen to paper, terrified of ‘getting it wrong’ – this has repercussions in all aspects of life. I want to show everyone that poetry is for them, that we can enjoy the rules and break the rules.”
From National Poetry Day onwards, Joseph shared a weekly ‘Poetry Prompt’ video to inspire the nation, young and old, to write poems and to become poets. Each video saw him explore a different subject or technique – such as similes, onomatopoeia and figurative language – and showing how this can be brought to life in fun and engaging ways through poetry.
Poetry Prompts 80
Join Joseph and comedian Inel Tomlinson to learn how to write a poem about laughter.
Enjoy a beautiful downloadable poster designed by Joelle Avelino.
Download the resource sheet and see if Joe’s poem makes you laugh! You’ll also find even more tips on how to write a funny poem yourself.