13 October 2021
Ms Amanda Owens, Librarian
We were very fortunate to have poet Emma McGordon in school with us on Thursday 7 October to celebrate National Poetry Day.
Emma, from West Cumbria, is a recipient of a Northern Young Writers Award, a Norman Nicholson Award and, most recently, the Julia Darling Fellowship. She has performed internationally, at theatres and arts centres across the UK as well as at the Glastonbury, Latitude and Big Chill festivals.
Emma’s first performance at Woldingham was during our National Poetry Day assembly, after which she spent the morning taking creative writing classes with Year 8 students. These sessions were based around ‘Choice’, the theme of this year’s National Poetry Day. After playing a word association game, students learnt about univocalic poems, where only a single vowel is used. Year 8 students then had a go at writing their own with some hilarious results*.
Emma’s visit concluding with an inspiring reading of her own poetry in the Live Lounge, which the audience enjoyed immensely and rounded off this year’s National Poetry Day for the school in a very memorable way.
* By Athena and Matilda, Year 8
Barbara always tans a fat rat at a flat as mad Amara slaps Barbara’s snazzy, jazzy, fat cat.
And Ryan always stays at Barbara’s bar and plays a calm shanty.