March - Artist of the Month – Emilie Lauren Jones

Our March ‘Artist of the Month’ is Poet Emilie Lauren Jones.

About Emilie Lauren Jones.

Emilie Lauren Jones is Coventry's first and current Poet Laureate. Her words have featured on local and national radio and television and she has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies nationally and internationally. Emilie enjoys writing commissions, facilitating writing workshops, working on projects and visiting community groups and schools across the country to share her love of words. She has performed in a variety of venues, from libraries and village halls to Alexandra Palace!

What a visit from Emilie entails

Emilie works with all key stages and is happy to be flexible with the format of the day to suit the schools needs.

A typical visit could include:

Example 1: beginning the day with a whole school assembly, followed by 45 minute sessions with every class (over one or two days). Each year group focuses on a different poetry genre from blackout poetry to haiku.

Example 2: working with one or two year groups to play with words and try out different poetic techniques. Using example poems to inspire us we would write our own poems, practice performance techniques (designed to increase confidence when reading aloud) and create a display or performance for fellow students and/or parents.

Example 3 (better for older students): a 45 minute to one-hour author talk, followed by workshops sessions that focus on the writing and editing process, this could lead to the creation of an anthology of the students work (extra costs apply for creation and printing of the anthology).

Example 4: (better for younger students, but can also be adapted for older students e.g. older students with additional needs): a ten to fifteen minute informal chat, followed by some fun poetic activities with no writing involved. We could use small music instruments to find a rhythm within a poem or rhyme or we could complete a poetry collage by sticking and gluing parts of a poem together to create our own version. Alternatively, we could use colours and shapes to represent how we feel.

Details on Emilies school visits can be found in detail on her author page.

Feedback from Emilie’s previous visits.

“The day was a resounding success and feedback has been amazing.

The online TEAM’s poetry readings and Q and A’s were engaging and both staff and pupils really enjoyed them. The afternoon face to face poetry was fantastic each child was inspired and I was amazed by the poetry that they produced. It was lovely to see them have the confidence to perform/recite their poetry too.

Emilie was wonder through the whole process - communicated well, was well prepared and flexible.”

The Romero Catholic Academy.

“You were such an inspiration to our children (and teachers) and they have been non-stop talking about it ever since”

Tracy Brown, Assistant Headteacher

“Your workshop was so inspiring (yes, for me as a teacher as well)”

Kathi Liebe, Maths and English Teacher

Interview with Emilie Lauren Jones

You are a recently new addition to Authors Abroad Team. What made you interested in joining and how are you finding the partnership so far?

I came across Authors Abroad when looking at listing sites for poets who do school visits. When I read the information and then had a chat with Yvonne, I realised it was so much more! The benefits have been huge, I’m visiting schools that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with and who I wouldn’t have come across my work previously. The Authors Abroad team are so organised and efficient, it takes all the stress out of arranging visits.

What first sparked your interest in poetry?

I’ve always loved poetry. Like most of us, I enjoyed nursery rhymes and then had several children’s poetry books bought for me. I have a notebook of poems and stories that I started writing at age 6 and used to keep in the car for when I was bored on journeys! We were regular visitors to the library and several family members spent time reading to me so there was always very positive associations for me with books and stories. I certainly wasn’t the best in my class at writing but I always had a passion for it. I like the power that poetry has to express something big in such a small space. It’s a very versatile form and incredibly accessible.

You are the first ever Coventry Poet Laureate. Obviously an honour! What impact do you think places having their own laureate can have, and what do you hope to bring to the role?

Thank you! It certainly is a huge honour and it was a big surprise to be given the title. The role has been a really good way of engaging with groups and individuals who may not have come across poetry before (or hated it at school!) and this allows me to demonstrate how engaging and diverse an art form it is. I have been very well supported by local organisations and have had many wonderful opportunities to take part in projects and events and to meet new people.

I am well into my second year of the role now and my hope was to champion poetry and to engage with as many people as possible. Sometimes people have had bad experiences with poetry/writing and have been made to feel it isn’t for them. My goal was to prove that poetry is for everybody. At the start of this year, I took part in a residency at two local ‘warm banks’ where people could spend time in a warm space and access free meals. This meant that I got to meet many people who hadn’t previously attended poetry workshops and it was a privilege to them sharing poems with the group and finding confidence in their creativity – I was amazed at how popular the sessions were and a number of the attendees have carried on writing. I also had the opportunity to work in our twin city of Dresden and have been part of developing the Dresden – Coventry Writers Exchange programme which aims to continue promoting the friendship between our cities through creative writing.

You work with a wide range of ages, how do you adapt for different audiences and what is the key to a successful author visit?

I actually think we ask a lot from young people – I often talk them through a couple of examples and then tell them it’s their turn to write one! I am constantly impressed by their positive attitudes and willingness to give it a go. I honestly believe a large part of the writing process is about having fun experimenting with words and young people are very good at doing that. I try and remove the pressure of having to create ‘something good enough’ and find this allows students to be more creative. Before becoming a full-time poet, I used to work in schools so I understand the amazing work that teachers do. I am fortunate because I can be the person who goes in without worrying about the curriculum and I can give students the space to write something that isn’t being marked and where they don’t need to worry about their spelling or having to meet certain criteria. Because of this, I have found on many occasions that teachers are surprised by the quality of the work produced by all ability levels. If I can make children feel more confident in their ability to create and to help show them that their stories are valid and worth hearing then I feel my job is done. Sometimes I have met students who lack confidence due to dyslexia, I enjoy being able to help them see themselves differently when they discover I am dyslexic too; I have had children say things like ‘I didn’t realise I could be a writer’.

As for adapting to different ages, I find it’s the example poems and level of discussion that are the key to reaching the target age group. There are some poetry genres that reach everyone, for example, I have run blackout poetry sessions with Year 1, English students at university and adults at drop-in sessions. There are some forms that wouldn’t work for younger students, it would be unfair to take sonnets to a Reception class for instance, but overall poetry is a very accessible and flexible form that is easy to adapt to any age or ability.

What has been your most memorable moment from a school visit so far?

Ooh that’s a tough question, I’ve had so many lovely experiences! One example that comes to mind was a few years ago with a Year 6 class. We were looking at poems around identity and had a discussion about all the things that make us who we are. At the end of the session students came to the front to read their poems. One girl read her piece about her journey to the UK, it was both heart-breaking and hopeful. It felt like it could have been written by an adult when in fact the student had only lived here six months and hadn’t spoken English when she’d arrived. I really admired her talent and her confidence to read it in front of everyone. Her classmates were very supportive and it proved what a powerful tool poetry can be for learning about each other’s experiences.

How do you coax reluctant writers or shy speakers to be involved in your school visits?

Some people hate the idea of speaking in front of people so I would never force anyone to do that. However, if I can see someone would like to but is just nervous then I remind them that everyone is rooting for them (this usually encourages the rest of the group to clap and makes them feel more confident about doing it!). I think it’s awesome when someone who is nervous reads out and overcomes that fear but to allow them to do that, I have to do my best to create a safe and supportive environment. I always try to get round and see what everyone is writing before they read out as this allows me to point out the positives in their work and enables them to feel confident. As for reluctant writers, I think it’s important to let them know that we’re there to have fun rather than to aim for ‘perfection’, once this worry is eliminated it usually allows people to write something great. If there’s someone who needs an little extra support then that is fine too and I can spend a few minutes getting them started. Before visiting a school, I always ask them to let me know about any accessibility needs so that everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy the session and get the most out of it.

What difference do you think poetry can make to people?

I think it gives us the ability to travel across countries, through time and to meet people we might not come across in our every day lives. It can create empathy and understanding and offer us a new perspective or explain something we are already feeling ourselves. I like poetry that uses original imagery and shows me something in a way I hadn’t thought of before. When I go into schools or community groups, I feel I get a little glimpse into their lives through their words, it’s one of the parts I my job I really love. If poetry didn’t make a difference then it wouldn’t be used as widely as it is - for special occasions, at protests, on adverts, at the president’s inauguration, funerals, weddings, the list goes on..! Poetry shows us what it means to be human.

Schools are very keen to host poets around World Book Day, World Poetry Day and National Poetry Day. Although these days are a great asset and it is fantastic that they are recognised, what would you say to school teachers and librarians about the benefits of hosting at other times of years?

Absolutely! A number of schools purposely book writers in the middle of a term because it creates a ‘special day’ at their school. In a way, this can be more effective as it shows poetry isn’t restricted to one national/international day and then forgotten about. I love it when teachers email me a few weeks after a visit to tell me their students are still writing poetry in their free time! January in particular was very busy as schools wanted to something exciting after the Christmas break – the general feedback from teachers and students was that the visits were a lovely way to start the new year off and created a positive start to the new term. I’ve also had some great spring and summer bookings when we’ve been able to work outside, this is especially good for nature themed poetry.

Do you believe all people have the potential to be writers?

Yes, but only if they want to be! I think we all have natural likes and dislikes, for example, I find doing maths games/puzzles incredibly boring and frustrating (sorry!) so I have no desire to be a mathematician. I think you need to be interested in something and to enjoy it for it to be a hobby or a job. My job as a poet, is to do my best to make people engaged and interested in it because then they will want to pursue it. I certainly don’t think there’s anything to stop anyone being a writer who wants to be – my handwriting and spelling aren’t great but they don’t need to be, Microsoft Word and an editor can fix that, my job is to be creative and I pass that message on to the young people I meet during school visits. Of course, there are always improvements to be made, but generally I feel the world of poetry is very inclusive and accessible.

Where do you find inspiration for your poems?

Everywhere! I’m really nosey which is a good asset when you are a writer, I like people watching and listening into conversations on the train or in cafes. I’m also curious about the world in general, how things work and the history behind places. I also really enjoy being in nature so swimming and walking are good times for processing my thoughts and writing a first draft in my head. I always enjoy writing commissions because often the topic will be something I hadn’t thought to write about before, over the years I’ve been given some really quirky topics to write on from runner beans to a Victorian Cemetery. One of the first poems I had published was about my bedroom, so I don’t think you need to worry about not having anything ‘exciting’ to write about.

Do you believe poetry can be a more accessible tool for young people use to express themselves than prose?

It’s probably not fair to compare the two and actually I do run sessions that include various types of creative writing, however, my heart lies with poetry. It is an incredibly accessible tool, I’ve run sessions with so many different people over the years. There are so many genres and ways of using them, visual poetry is always good fun and looks really effective – I’ve run session where we turn poems into flowers and where we’ve created poetry self portraits for an art gallery. Spoken word poetry can be very engaging and that involves thinking about performance as well as writing the actual poem. Then there’s traditional forms like haiku and modern forms like golden shovels. There’s literally thousands

Should poems rhyme?

No, poems can rhyme but they don’t need to. Poetry is like a photograph, it allows the reader to immerse themselves in a scenario for a short space of time. I often get asked what makes something a poem. There’s numerous things that can make something a poem like metaphor/simile, imagery, poetic language and line breaks, as well as rhythm and repetition but equally, not all poems use these devices. I guess poets like to push boundaries and break rules!

I know you are working on your first ever poetry book, which we are very excited about. What can people expect from this once it is released?

I love celebrating the underappreciated things in life. I also have a massive love of animals so expect something that merges the two!

You are kindly one of our Poetry Slam guest judges – we look forward to seeing you in person later this month at the Gloucester Slam final – what are you looking forward to about the evening?

I’m very excited to take part in my first Authors Abroad Poetry Slam and it will be great to see you all too, and to see/meet the other judges. I am really looking forward to hearing a variety of quality poems, I’m also looking forward to seeing how the finalists choose to perform them. I enjoy being on judging panels and getting to experience new poems that I wouldn’t have been able to hear or read otherwise, but at the same time it is always so difficult to pick a winner when they are usually all so good!

Which poets, authors or speakers do you admire?

When I was starting out, I looked up to anyone who was able to be a full-time writer. The first poet I saw live was Benjamin Zephaniah and I thought he was incredible (and still do!). There are some amazing poets in the West Midlands (in fact, way too many to mention them all by name and I don’t want to miss anyone out) and it is a very supportive community.

One book that I always recommend to schools is ‘The Lost Words’ by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, I love the concept and I went to the accompanying exhibition last summer. The concept emergred when many everyday nature words were removed from the children’s dictionary and these poems aim to keep them alive.

What are your current goals?

- To publish the children’s poetry book

- To keep being part of new projects and events

- To publish a poetry book for adults

- To balance being a new mum and a full-time poet (I’m having a baby in August)

- To keep spreading the word about how awesome poetry is!

Quick Fire

Sun or snow?

Sun

Would you prefer to be able to turn invisible or fly?

Fly

Which would you rather – smell with your hands or hear with your feet?

Hear with my feet.

Which is scariest – a lion the size of a hamster, or a gerbil the size of a hippo?

Neither! I love hamsters and have kept many as pets over the years, some have been quite feisty so I reckon I could definitely cope with a lion-hamster. I think i’d just want to hug the gerbil hippo!

Favourite season?

Spring

If you were Prime Minister for the day, what law would you introduce?

Everyone would get to have a day off on their Birthday!