{"id":9105,"date":"2024-04-05T12:47:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T11:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/applesandsnakes.org\/?p=9105"},"modified":"2024-04-08T16:11:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T15:11:32","slug":"justin-coe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/applesandsnakes.org\/2024\/04\/05\/justin-coe\/","title":{"rendered":"Justin Coe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Spine<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Justin is part of SPINE Festival 2024<\/a>, along with an incredible team of poets they’ll be leading workshops and arts activities for children in Libraries and schools across London this Spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describe yourself in 3 words\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not Mr Tumble <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What inspires you?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a poem in anything. Today is all about biscuits and bicycles – and also, for some reason, spoons.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us about your worst ever gig?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the first times I was on stage as a poet was at a small festival where my job was mainly to introduce the bands. I managed to forget the names of the first three bands I introduced – the fourth band said they\u2019d rather introduce themselves, thanks. There was another memorable one early on where I performed on a bandstand in Bognor Regis to two old age pensioners in their motorised-wheelchair buggies. Instead of applauding the poems they just tooted their hooters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your number one poetry pet peeve?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The excessive use of alliteration. I\u2019m only joking – I love it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whose words do you love at the moment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always loved books but struggled with concentration – which meant I didn\u2019t read all that much as a child. I\u2019m trying to make it up for it, as best as I can, now. I read a lot of children\u2019s poetry. At the moment I\u2019m lapping up The Shape of Rainbows <\/em>by Neil Zetter. Of recent reads, I\u2019m a particular fan of Kate Wakeling\u2019s quirky A Dinosaur At The Bus Stop<\/em> – it\u2019s full of very clever and kinaesthetically pleasing poems for younger children. I\u2019m very much into verse novels. The best one I\u2019ve read recently is The Final Year<\/em> by Matt Goodfellow. Jeanette Winterson\u2019s memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?<\/em> is another richly rewarding read that I\u2019ve got on the go. And, at last, I\u2019m finally about to finish Dickens’ David Copperfield<\/em> – I\u2019ve enjoyed it for the most part, although the female characters do seem to do a lot of feinting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How about \u201cstay in your day job so you\u2019ll save up enough money to write comfortably when you\u2019re older\u201d. I\u2019d never have listened, of course, and probably a good thing too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you relate to the themes of magic & imagination?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Magic to me is all about joy and surprise. The imagination is the portal to finding magic in the mundane. Poets are good at locating and celebrating magic in the everyday (which is hopefully what I did in my book The Magic of Mums<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you enjoy most about working with children, families and libraries?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I love that library shows are accessible to everyone. And working with children and poetry together is such a joy. I like to write interactive poems and funny poems – because a crowd of lively, laughing children is a very addictive buzz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you could have an extra hour of free time every day, how would you use it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve got three children, I work in schools on poetry projects in the week, I work weekends as a carer for my disabled brother-in-law, I\u2019m trying to finish my novel, I make time for reading, riding my mountain bike and playing the guitar very badly,  so in that extra hour, I\u2019d probably just run a hot bath and go to sleep in it. <\/p>\n\n\n