Contact – The Poetry of Joseph Coelho

Laureate Enquiries

For general laureate enquiries including The Library Marathon please contact: childrens.laureate@booktrust.org.uk

For all Laureate media requests please contact:

Hannah McMillan
Hannah.mcmillan@midaspr.co.uk

If you would like to book me for a school workshop or inset then please do so through Authors Aloud

Email: info@authorsalouduk.co.uk
Tel: 01727 893992

I’m represented by Caroline Sheldon at The Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency

carolinesheldon@carolinesheldon.co.uk

josephcoelhoauthor

Luna loves Christmas is OUT and there is a free ac

Luna loves Christmas is OUT and there is a free activity pack for you to download!

Link in the bio 🎄

#Repost @thewhiteravens.books with @use.repost ・

#Repost @thewhiteravens.books with @use.repost
・・・
Joseph Coelho, Kate Milner:
The boy lost in the maze. A story told in poems
Burley Gate, Herefordshire: Otter-Barry Books, 2022
#ravenoftheday

Joseph Coelho, the 2023 Children’s Laureate in the UK, is an amazing performance poet and writer, penning poems and stories for all age groups. His young adult verse novel »The Boy Lost in the Maze« skilfully weaves together two tales: the ancient Greek myth about Theseus and the Minotaur and a modern story about seventeen-year-old Theo. Both boys, on the brink of adulthood, are searching for their biological fathers. This challenging quest leads them down blind alleys and into dangerous situations, making them question the meaning of family, father-and-son bonds, and manhood. Written from the two protagonists’ as well as from a few other characters’ perspectives, the short poems – both free and structured verse – allow readers glimpses into the boys’ inner struggles. Just like his previous verse novel, »The Girl Who Became a Tree« (2020), this story, adorned by sinister and thoughtful black-and-white illustrations by Kate Milner, makes readers feel the power and beauty of poetry. (Age: 14+)

#wrlist2023 #bookstagram #versenovel #novelinverse #booksforteens #booksforyoungadults
#comingofage #Theseus #myth #fathersandsons #fatherfigure #masculinity #poetry
@josephcoelhoauthor @thatpaperhat_ #josephcoelho #katemilner @otterbarrybooks
#booksinenglish @ibbyuk_organisation #theboylostinthemaze

Totally chuffed that mine and @fiona_lumbers Luna

Totally chuffed that mine and @fiona_lumbers Luna Loves Christmas has been declared the @the.independent Best Christmas Book Overall!

We had a blast giving Luna, her family and her community the best Christmas we could dream up complete snow ball games, snow people, xmas trees, carolling, presents and lots and lots of community giving. Oh and a few other special surprises.

Huge thanks to @andersenpress we have a lot of fun events coming up this Christmas so watch this space.

My First @yalc_uk was quite something so wonderful

My First @yalc_uk was quite something so wonderful to share the stage with @saaraelarifi @s_e_c_underwood and @kikahatzopoulou talking about our recent books and links to myths, folklore and legend. I spoke about the six Labours of Theseus and howI have intermingled this narrative with that of a modern day Londoner searching for his father and discovering what it means to be a man.

In the afternoon I ran a writing workshop with adults around structure, story arcs and ways to plan a choose your own adventure narrative that may have involved some crafting!

A big thanks to @otterbarrybooks for the support. the Boy Lost In The Maze is available now and is currently nominated for the @carnegiemedals and features on the @thewhiteravens.books list and has been named an “Extraordinary Book” by the international Literature Festival Berlin.

After some time away on a writing retreat it has b

After some time away on a writing retreat it has been lovely to come home to this news, so pleased to see The Boy Lost In The Maze illustrated by @thatpaperhat_ and published by @otterbarrybooks and @candlewickpress US on the @carnegiemedals Nominations list with some truly brilliant company so do check out the full list.

This story is very close to my heart, its the story of two boys learning what it means to be a man, Theseus In Ancient Greece and Theo In Modern Day London. Their tales intertwine across time and space as Theo and Theseus search for their biological fathers but on the way they have to face some murderers and beasts - Sciron who split people in half using bent tree limbs or is he the owner of a modern day internet data firm that splits private data from public data revealing all; The Crommyonian Sow - a pig like serpent thing in one time, a bestial demon living in squalor in suburbia in another…. And many others beside. As they confront their own and society’s ideas of manhood they have to ensure that they do not get lost in the labyrinth. And you dear reader can help, as you get to decide where the narrative goes. What paths will you choose for these heroes to take?

I have hardly touched the ground these last couple

I have hardly touched the ground these last couple of weeks so am behind on updates but a couple of weeks ago I had a brilliant couple of days back in my childhood home of wandsworth where I not only got to visit my old secondary school @arkputneyacademy and reconnect with some of my former teachers but also to share poems and anecdotes with students. Local primaries were also invited and amongst them were two of my old primary schools. It felt wonderful and odd to be back in the main hall where I spent many assemblies and sat for exams. Nice bit of trivia the hall stars in the Love Actually Christmas finale! I recall dancing on that stage and receiving commendation certificates, and even looked out for the piece of cucumber i remember being perpetually stuck to the ceiling - I can report it did not survive the wonderful refurb! 😄 (I didn’t throw it there! I was just a very observant kid!)

I also led sessions at Wandsworth Town hall with 1500 students from local schools and ran a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) session with teachers. I recall passing the town hall on my weekly bike rides after school to Alvering Library where I worked every Tuesday and Thursday 😄. As you can imagine lots of memories!

The students were wonderful and it was particularly special to speak to them about some of the inspirations from my stories that exist in the landscape they daily navigate. I had students call out “that’s my block” and “I know those statues”.

The two days ended with a visit to my very first library - Roehampton Library that looks much the same as it did when I was a little kid. Sharing poems and stories in that space with local children will forever stay with me. Having a plaque placed by the front door blew me away. A huge thank you to Wandsworth Council and @arkputneyacademy and @quartokids and to all the local primary schools that came down and said hi.

What a blast, what a joy! Luna Loves Library Day

What a blast, what a joy! Luna Loves Library Day was mine and @fiona_lumbers debut picture book back in 2017 with the wonderful @andersenpress since then she has gone on to love many things, books, dance, art, World Book Day and most recently Christmas and is published in 12 territories. Tonight we saw her first love… libraries brought to life on stage thanks to the wonderful @littleseedsmusic.

The premier performance @z.artsmcr was a delight with live music and cake and even the odd speech. It was so touching to see the wonderful cast bring Luna and her family to life. Seems like an age ago since @davidgibbmusic and I began R&D to write the script and songs for the show but boy has it grown since then thanks to the brilliant creative team with @yasminaberraoui as Luna, @nicki.davy as mum/librarian, Kane Matthews as Dad under the direction of Dermot Daly and the fantatic deisgn by @nomieverall and stage management of @jodieclicks. I’m so grateful to @davidgibbmusic and Ellie Dimmock of @littleseedsmusic for having the vision and know how to turn our little story of love and reading and libraries into a full on musical and a huge thanks to @z.artsmcr @bigimaginationsnw @thestorymuseum and @aceagrams for all their support. Luna has a super tour ahead of her from now and well into next year so check out the @littleseedsmusic website and check it out.

And a shoutout to @pennynl for all the super photos 😄

Check!

Delighted that The Boy Lost In The Maze, illustrat

Delighted that The Boy Lost In The Maze, illustrated by the fabulous @thatpaperhat_ is a White Raven #wrlist2023 @int_jugendbibliothek chosen by the International Youth Library’s children’s literature experts to join a list of 200 notable and new children’s and young adult books and is among beautiful company. This is following on from it gaining the title of Extraordinary book from the International Literature Festival Berlin earlier this year. A huge thank you to publishers @otterbarrybooks & @int_jugendbibliothek

The Library Marathon is done. 213 libraries joined

The Library Marathon is done. 213 libraries joined, 70 of which I joined as laureate with the support of the fab @booktrust who enabled me to offer free events at each of those 70 libraries.

I finished up at The British Library with Aslan my bamboo bike that got me round the 170 miles it took to join some libraries along the south coast.

This final push had me joining libraries & talking with children in Bury, Knowles, Warrington, St Helens, The Isle of Man and Liverpool Central Libraries. At every library I have not only joined up and borrowed books but used the visit as an opportunity to encourage others to join & use their libraries both in person and through local media outlets, this week alone I have conducted over 20 interviews on TV and Radio including @officialbluepeter @bbcnewsround @bbcbreakfast & @guardian talking libraries & the importance of reading for kids. It has been wonderful to see how libraries have, throughout the entire library marathon, used my visits to create a buzz about their services through local press, reconnect with schools & hand out signup forms.

The libraries have been huge Carnegie buildings, temporary pods, converted flats, buses and even bikes but no matter the size the commitment, passion & dedication of the librarians has always been massive.

I have lost count of the number of times that little kids have entered a library, pointed at the books & asked “can I have one of those?” And being able to tell them “yes, and they are free!” Has been a joy.

Doing the library Marathon over the last four years has been a humbling experience hearing from librarians all the wonderful stories they have to tell: the patrons they’ve watched grow, the babies they’ve seen weighed, the people they’ve helped, the funding they’ve won for new spaces and events, the trials & tribulations they’ve endured, the books they’ve recommended.

Libraries are vibrant living spaces that provide access not only to books but also performances, audio books, ebooks, magazines and papers, computer classes, language courses, 3D printers, knit & natter groups & board game clubs & health centres- they are essential and remain at the heart of all communities.

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