John Agard was born in Guyana and writes for children and adults. His latest collection of poetry The Rainmaker Danced was shortlisted for the CLiPPA 2018.
Kwame Alexander is a poet, children's book author, playwright, producer, public speaker and performer. Booked was highly commended by the CLiPPA judges in 2017.
Ruth Awolola is a student, youth worker and poet currently. She is one of the 5 poets included in Rising Stars: New Young Voices in Poetry which was highly commended at the CLiPPA 2018
Valerie Bloom is a performance poet, originally from Jamaica. Her poems feature in the CLiPPA 2015 shortlisted book Give the Ball to the Poet: A New Anthology of Caribbean Poetry.
Joseph Coelho is a writer and performer. Winner of the CLiPPA Poetry Award in 2015 and his collection Overheard in a Tower Block was shortlisted for the CLiPPA 2018.
Julia Donaldson MBE is a writer, playwright and performer and the 2011–2013 Children's Laureate. Her book Poems to Perform was shortlisted for the CLiPPA 2014.
Allie Esiri is a former actress, now a writer. She is the editor A Poem for Every Night of the Year and A Poem for Every Day of the Year and was a judge for the CLiPPA in 2015.
A F Harrold is a poet, performer and children's author. His work for children includes Things You Find In A Poet's Beard. He heads the judges for the CLiPPA 2019.
Jackie Kay is an author and poet . She was awarded an MBE in 2006 for her services to poetry and in 2016 announced as the Scots Makar (national poet of Scotland).
Aoife Mannix was born in Sweden of Irish parents. A poet and performer, she is the author of several poetry collections and is currently poet in residence on BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live.
Tony Mitton wrote his first book Plum in 1998 and he has since had 14 more publications and won numerous awards for his work. His poem Wayland won the CLiPPA 2014 .
Born in Guyana, Grace Nichols poetry collection. Cosmic Disco was shortlisted for the CLiPPA 2014. Grace chaired the judging panel for the CLiPPA in 2018.
Rachel Piercey is the editor at Emma Press. She co-edited and is featured in Falling Out of the Sky. Poems about Myths and Monsters which was shortlisted for the 2016 CLiPPA Award.
Rachel's work has been published in numerous anthologies. Her collection The Language of Cat won the 2011 CLPE Poetry Award and she was Chair of judges for CLiPPA 2017.
Michael Rosen, former Children's Laureate (2007-2009) is a renowned poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. Jelly Boots, Smelly Boots was shortlisted for the CLiPPA in 2017.
George Szirtes was born in Hungary and came to England in 1956. A poet and a translator of Hungarian literature, his poetry collection In the Land of Giants won the CLiPPA 2013
