It’s perhaps a bit early in the year for our next #poemoftheweek, “Autumn Gilt” (from the collection Let Me Touch the Sky), but we hope you enjoy listening anyway! There’ll be some activities for schools using this poem in an upcoming Scheme of Work freebie, so keep an eye out for that!
Ashlyn performs “Pet Shop”!
We loved this video of 11-year-old Ashlyn Tombs from Zimbabwe performing “Pet Shop” with great style and energy for her National Eisteddfod! “Pet Shop” is one of the poems included in Jaws and Claws and Things with Wings and we’re delighted that Ashlyn chose to recite it for her entry. Well done, Ashlyn and good luck! Reproduced with permission.
Comments Off on Ashlyn performs “Pet Shop”!
Three performances at the British Library
With everything that’s been going on in the news over recent months, it’s great to see a number of events and initiatives coming up to celebrate the windrush generation.
I had the pleasure of taking part in Windrush Women: Past and Present, an evening of poetry and readings inspired by the lives of female writers from the Windrush era, at the British Library last month. Read the rest of this entry »
Comments Off on Three performances at the British Library
Green-fingered words
Just a little update on what I’m working on at the moment. Although it seems a bit cold to be talking about planting seeds or vegetable patches, my current project is poems about gardening. I started a post a while back about trying to make my hobbies pay. Not because everything should be about money, Read the rest of this entry »
My own Caribbean adventure…
I’ve just spent a couple of idyllic weeks in Cuba and have had a lot to think about since then. I was touched by the friendliness and the courteousness of everyone and by the unspoilt, uncommercialised honesty of the place. At the same time I was amazed at how little people had to survive on and how resourceful that made them. I saw ropes being fabricated on an ingenious machine, home-made from old video tapes; the irrigation system on a farm I visited consisted of old tyres split to form drains, and used the water left over from washing. Just to give you an idea. Read the rest of this entry »
Comments Off on My own Caribbean adventure…
Rhymes and Rhythms in Bonny Scotland
On 27 November I had the privilege of working with Roger McGough on a BBC Scotland live recording, Rhymes and Rhythms. We had a brilliant time sharing our poetry with an enthusiastic audience of 5-7 year-old pupils, and the organisers, the Scottish Book Trust have created a set of learning resources for teachers. These are available on their website free of charge; and I’ve linked to a couple below.
Wishing everyone a peaceful run-up to the end-of-year break!
Clips from the event (via the BBC Scotland Learning website)
Comments Off on Rhymes and Rhythms in Bonny Scotland
50 Best
From handbags to kitchen appliances our family has taken great pleasure in perusing the Guardian’s “50 Best” feature over the years. So I was delighted to discover not only that their latest edition looks at such an important topic as culturally diverse children’s literature, but to see one of my own books make it into the list!
The Guardian’s Diverse Voices: the 50 best culturally diverse children’s books looks at the best children’s and teenagers’ books celebrating cultural and ethnic diversity since 1950. My picture book, Fruits is the second in the list, in the “Early Years” section. Celebrating Children’s Book week, the article sits among various features exploring children’s literature and diversity.
Speaking of the latter, it was good to see a wide array of cultures featured, albeit what one would expect!
Have a read, and maybe discover an old treasure from your childhood, or a new one to share! What books would you have added to the list?
Comments Off on 50 Best
Poetry, charity, royalty
October 17th has lots of good memories; a family birthday, a neice’s anniversary, a trip to Kenya three years back. This year, however, the day afforded an experience I don’t often enjoy; performing to royalty! As part of a school visit I gave a performance and writing workshop to a group of schoolchildren as lovely and enthusiastic as ever. Or perhaps slightly more excited than usual, as these young people had another visitor in the form of HRH Princess Beatrice!
The workshop took place at St Peter’s School in Farnham, and was organised by the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week. Princess Beatrice is Patron of the Centre, and knows personally what it takes to achieve academically in spite of the condition. It was lovely meeting both HRH and Helen Arkell herself. The Princess seemed to enjoy the workshop, and the children were certainly pleased to have her join them for it!
Always a pleasure to meet such interesting and accomplished people as part of my work. Till next time!
Comments Off on Poetry, charity, royalty
Update
It has been a while since I last posted and I’m so sorry. I have a confession to make. I’m a bit of a technophobe, so I do the minimum I can get away with on my computer. But I’m attempting to overcome this and will try to be more punctual with my updates in future. If only I could remember my passwords!
Since last time I’ve been to China and thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the British School of Guangzhou. Lovely children, a great staff and brilliant book week activities. I even managed a bit of writing while I was there, which is rare on tours as I’m usually brain dead at the end of a school day. I was surprised to see so many tropical plants growing in Guangzhou, and got very excited when I saw the little stalls groaning under the weight of mangoes, pineapples etc. Took me right back to Jamaica.
I was also in Israel where I did the Bibleland tour. An awesome experience. The most poignant moment was when I stepped into the empty tomb where Jesus was laid. Now, when I read the Bible, so many things are clearer than they were before.
I took a break to Majorca in April when Britain was in the clutches of persistent winter, and the balmy weather did wonders for the flow of my creative juices. This little time to write has made me realise how much the writing has suffered because of the travelling and performing, so I’ve decided to cut back on the gallivanting and will now be spending more time at my desk, though I’m off to Malaysia later in the year.
Just talking about writing has lit the fire in my veins and my notebook is calling – urgently. Until next time.
Valerie
Comments Off on Update
A quick reflection
Can’t believe 2012 is finished already – I haven’t even started all the plans I made in January! That blockbuster novel, that mega-collection of poetry, that book of short stories…not yet done. Did manage a collection of animal poems for children, though; and did some travelling. Or was that 2011? Time’s going so fast, I don’t know where I am any more!
If I don’t want a repeat, I’d better get cracking on this book I’m writing. So, talk to you all soon!
Valerie Bloom 