Werewolf Club Rules

Joseph Coelho’s first collection ranges around school and family life and demonstrates a delight in language and an ambitious use of words. ‘Miss Flotsam’ is a heroic reception teacher with global sensibilities. A list of the contents of school dinner leaves pupils begging for a packed lunch. 'Conquer' plays with a pun which highlights children's enjoyment of the fruit of nature while 'Halloween's Crumble' superbly captures the frustration of trying to pick those blackberries that are just out of reach. An intergenerational relationship is encapsulated by the use of a deck of cards to deal out information about places travelled while ‘Bug Poem’ demonstrates that there are creepy crawlies to suit every member of the family.

Winner of the 2015 CLiPPA (CLPE Poetry Award)