CLPE Patron, Award-Winning Poet, Playwright & Author Joseph Coelho Announced as new Waterstones Children’s Laureate

CLPE Patron Joseph Coelho, award-winning performance poet, playwright and children’s author, has today been crowned the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022 – 2024.

Joe Coelho won the CLiPPA (CLPE's Poetry Award) for his debut collection Werewolf Club Rules in 2015 and Overheard In A Tower Block was on the 2018 shortlist. Joe has been an important part of the CLPE poetry provision, sharing his work online, at courses and conferences and through his picture and poetry books that are part of Power of Reading and Core Books. We were delighted when Joe became an official CLPE Patron, in 2019.

Joe has worked with CLPE to deliver various poetry courses for teachers and the team have produced a number of free teaching resources and videos for Joe's children's books and poetry collections. Joe’s short story Amelia St Clair and the Long Armed Killer is part of the Happy Here collection produced in partnership with BookTrust and published by Knights Of and Joe is an important contributor to our Reflecting Realities in the Classroom project.

Find out more about Happy Here and our free teaching notes for schools.

All the rooms at CLPE's London Centre are named after Children's Laureate's and in honour of Joe being awarded the prestigious Waterstones Children's Laureate, we are pleased to unveil our new Webinar Studio called the 'Coelho'.

To deliver Coelho’s ambitions, his Laureateship will focus on three major projects:

‘Poetry Prompts’ will celebrate the power of poetry in all its forms, breaking down the fear often associated with reading and writing to show why poems are for everyone, and the joy that writing, reading and performing poetry can bring.
Bookmaker Like You’ will showcase new talent within the industry and spotlight their work, so that children are introduced to a range of creatives that truly reflect everyone in our diverse society, and ensure that every child can see themselves as a bookmaker.
Coelho will also champion local libraries, highlighting the vital role they play within the community and inspiring a love of reading in young people, by completing his ‘Library Marathon’ to join a library in every local authority in the UK, and encourage even more people to register with their local library.

Joseph Coelho, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022–2024, said: “Poetry is powerful, it is the medium we turn to at weddings, funerals and new births because it goes beyond mere words, poetry translates the soul. I want to use the prestigious platform of the Waterstones Children's Laureate to highlight and celebrate the power of poetry. To invite the nation, young and old, to write poems, to become poets.

www.booktrust.org.uk | @UKLaureate | @BookTrust | #ChildrensLaureate