My path into poetry was strange really, I started out as a teacher and then I became known for my music. I was part of a group called The Scaffold and sang songs like Lily the Pink. I had a great time and it was then that I started writing poetry. I didn't think poetry would be a career for me, I thought it was something that I would just do - it was my little secret. I didn't start writing poems until I was about 18. I just enjoyed doing it and then started writing more and more and began getting published. I was able to stay with it and for that I have been lucky.The first poem I remember was one my mother use to recite to me about a goblin in a garden bouncing a big rubber ball- I recall her words so vividly.
The first poem I actually recited was Lewis Carroll's The Jabberwocky and I loved the work of Edward Lear, and later on Robert Louis Stevenson. Poetry was always around me and what I particularly enjoyed was when I used to recite poems in class out loud. The enjoyment came from listening to poems rather than studying them.
Now, years later, I am the president of the Poetry Society, which is really at the heart of the poetry scene in the UK and has been for some time. It produces Poetry Review and the quarterly newspaper Poetry News, runs a wide programme of events, competitions and educational initiatives, and generally looks after poets' needs similar to a poetry union
At the Poetry Society we also recognise the importance of children's poetry and the benefits of finding ways to engage younger generations to ensure that the wonders of poetry travel on and are passed onto the next generations
We were really interested when Disney Junior approached us about the idea of setting iconic Disney animation to poetry in their new series of A Poem Is... We believe anything that helps children love and understand poetry is a great thing.
Disney is all about storytelling - it's a way of seeing and escaping the world, a sense of adventure. The same can be said of poetry, too.
Working in partnership with Disney Junior, we have produced a useful guide for any parent or relative to help get young children started into the world of poetry that perfectly accompanies the A Poem Is... series. The series is narrated by British talent such as Matt Smith, David Walliams and Richard Briers, CBE, and set to iconic Disney animation.
The guide offers hints and tips to help read poetry in a fun and engaging way, from the sounds of poetry, to the sights and to the movement - there are even games which can help bring the poems to life for families.
Full story at HuffPost UK
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