{"id":11156,"date":"2024-11-28T12:22:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T12:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/applesandsnakes.org\/?p=11156"},"modified":"2024-11-29T14:44:06","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T14:44:06","slug":"my-journey-into-writing-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/applesandsnakes.org\/2024\/11\/28\/my-journey-into-writing-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"My Journey into Writing for Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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…only 11% of children\u2019s books published in 2021 featured a character from a Global Majority background. Even more starkly, just 2% of U.K. children\u2019s authors and illustrators come from these communities. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

mY jOURNEY INTO WRITING FOR CHILDREN<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Writing for children wasn\u2019t always part of my plan, though my career has consistently brought me into the orbit of young people and their stories. As a writer, educator, and advocate for creative expression, I\u2019ve long believed in the power of words to shape young minds. Over the years, this belief has driven me to deliver writing workshops for children and young people through organizations like First Story, WEM, and the National Literacy Trust. I\u2019ve had the privilege of being a writer-in-residence in three secondary schools, engaging students in the transformative magic of poetry and storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my teaching role, I work with 15-19-year-olds, guiding them through GCSE English Language resits. Here, I see firsthand how powerful words can be in building confidence and creating connections. These experiences have deeply influenced my understanding of what young audiences need and how they connect to literature. But until recently, I hadn\u2019t thought of myself as someone who writes specifically for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That changed in 2022 when I was selected for the Joseph Coelho\/Otter Barry Books\/Apples & Snakes, Diversifying Children\u2019s Literature<\/a> project. This initiative, which aims to amplify underrepresented voices, culminated in the children\u2019s poetry anthology Spin<\/em>, where five of my poems found a home. It was a pivotal moment\u2014one where I began to see how my voice and perspective could resonate with younger readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in 2024, I joined the Apples & Snakes, Simon Mole and CLPE\u2019s<\/a> Writing for Primary Audiences project. This experience reignited my love for poetry and opened a new chapter in my creative journey. It was here that I began working on a poetry collection about meteorology, climate change, and weather systems, a topic inspired by my Caribbean heritage and its deep connection to the natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n