Within 3 minutes of settling down they are writing. 2 minutes later, I have a plethora of raised hands to choose from – all keen to share aloud the words they’ve just written. An observer would be impressed. And that’s just the warm up. At this halfway stage (week 10) in the mentoring programme, lookingContinue reading ““I Give You Permission” – latest update from my Young Writers’ Mentoring at Didcot Girls’ School”
Category Archives: Poetry
‘Empowerment’ – by our Poets Laureate
(Photo by Chelsi Peter from Pexels) I’m proud to be able to publish today the Didcot Girls’ Poets Laureate new commissioned poems. Nina, Kat and I met 6 weeks or so ago to look over their final drafts of these recent poems. Out lunchtime sessions are brief but wonderfully rich times when we chat about many things,Continue reading “‘Empowerment’ – by our Poets Laureate”
Showcase of the Short
My young writers at Didcot Girls’ School have made it to the half term breather, which seems like a good opportunity for me to take stock. We are six weeks in to the mentoring programme, and the poets have responded to my first call for submissions of work for this blog. So here they are,Continue reading “Showcase of the Short”
The Universe and Us
(Photo by icon0.com from Pexels) What is it to be free? What does it look like, for you? This week with my young writers, we had freedom in mind. We talked about personal freedoms. We discussed free verse and poetic form. We read a poem that’s overflowing with freedom in its use of language, music and powerful self-expression.Continue reading “The Universe and Us”
Patron of Writing: Looking forwards. Looking back.
Photo by Rakicevic Nenad from Pexels I have the best job in the world. I spent three weeks in November feeling right at home at DGS – huge thanks to the English team, who made me feel so welcome, and a special INCREDIBLY BIG thank you to the Year 9 students (all 270 of them),Continue reading “Patron of Writing: Looking forwards. Looking back.”
Poems to remember, by the DGS Poets Laureate
I’m delighted to be able to publish two poems, specially commissioned for the 100 years of Remembrance, written by the Didcot Girls’ Poets Laureate: Kat Richards and Nina Winstone. Please take a moment to read. Reflect. Remember. *** Poems are copyright of Nina Winstone & Kat Richards ©
Open the door
‘I open the door and then I see a lonely man as lonely as I was when I got taken away I went up to him and said Do you need a friend and the wind started to blow I was cold he was cold but there was nothing there…’ (Text © of the author,Continue reading “Open the door”
Delight
I’m at the end of my first week of poetry workshops with Year 9 at Didcot Girls’ School and just couldn’t be happier. The responses to the sessions have been absolutely glowing! So before I take the weekend off, and get some R&R in preparation for week two, I thought I’d share some of theContinue reading “Delight”
Patron of Writing Update #PoW: Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads
At DGS my job is to shine a spotlight on creative writing (and in particular, poetry) in this community.
#LetsDoThisKids 12: Destination X
All good things come to an end. But as I told my brilliant young writers at Didcot Girls, this is not the end of their writing journey, it’s just the start. Last week we met for our last mentoring session and we were ending on a high, with our really inspiring launch event still freshContinue reading “#LetsDoThisKids 12: Destination X”
Elaine Baker - Poet 