It’s an epic celebration of the power of poetry in all its forms. Through the campaign, Joseph aimed to break down the fear often associated with reading and writing and show why poems are for everyone, alongside the joy that writing, reading and performing poetry can bring to our lives.
Poetry Prompts!
Poetry Prompts was Joseph Coelho’s flagship project as the prestigious Waterstones Children’s Laureate
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.
Joseph Coelho
Throughout his Laureate tenure 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 exploring 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.
Check out all the Poetry Prompt videos and resources!
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Esther Brown, Primary English Lead, shares how to teach poetry in an inspiring way.