CLiPPA Shortlist

Liz Brownlee ♦ June 12, 2022 ♦ 1 Comment

Being Me, Poems About Thoughts, Feelings and Worries, by me, Matt Goodfellow and Laura Mucha, Otter-Barry Books, is on the CLiPPA 2022 shortlist!

The award is given by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Poetry Award, and is the one every poet would like to win – but the shortlisting is also a huge honour and we are thrilled and very excited.

Being Me was written in consultation with leading developmental psychologist Karen Goodall, and is illustrated by Victoria Jane Wheeler. This is what CLPE has to say about it:

“A collaborative anthology between three poets and an artist, singing together in harmony. Concern for the child and quality of the word is absolutely at the forefront here: these well-crafted poems articulate with skill and care a wide breadth of complex emotions and situations that may well be familiar to children, but they may not yet have the language to describe.

This timely collection strikes balance between difficult issues and hope, without the latter ever feeling forced or patronising. It is now more important than ever for children to be in touch with their emotions and to share with them the tools to help express and navigate them, which this collection performs brilliantly. Articulate, empathetic, and invites profound connection between poet and reader.”

The other books in the shortlist are fabulous too, one is Caterpillar Cake, written by Matt, who has been shortlisted twice out of four books! Keep your fingers crossed for us!