The award-winning performance poet, playwright, and children’s author is on an epic cross-country journey to join a library in every local authority with the aim of encouraging people, young and old, to join their local library.
Coelho is championing local libraries and the vital role they play within the community and inspiring a love of reading in young people.
Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho is an award-winning performance poet, playwright and children’s author. His work has poetry and performance at its heart, drawing on over 20 years’ experience running dynamic creative literacy sessions in schools.
He aims to inspire young people through stories and characters they can recognise and explores themes including fear, courage, diversity, gratitude, empathy and loss.
In addition to exploring emotional landscapes, Coelho is inspired by magic, the ancient world and often draws on his own experiences transforming them into something universal that can be shared.
Throughout his career he has highlighted the power of poetry and reading, championing and campaigning for local libraries and spotlights new voices and diversity throughout his work. Coelho writes for children of all ages.
Cllr. Gareth John, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Joseph, as the Children’s Laureate, to Llanelli Library and I would encourage all parents and guardians to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to take their children to this wonderful event, which is free of charge.”
Cllr Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Joseph to Neath’s town centre library where he will be sharing his love of reading with youngsters. This is an opportunity not to be missed, but places are limited, so please book.”
Joseph Coelho, Children’s Laureate, said: “I am thrilled to bring my Library Marathon tour to Wales. I look forward to visiting 22 libraries across this beautiful country, and joining fellow poet and newly announced Children’s Laureate Wales, Alex Wharton. Libraries made me a writer and make communities thrive. They have been a vital part of my life: from living on estates where I had a library next door, to my first Saturday job, to working at the British Library whilst studying at UCL, to touring theatre shows designed to be performed in libraries. I’m immensely grateful to libraries and the services they provide, so I want to use my platform as the Waterstones Children’s Laureate to champion these essential launchpads of learning. I want to hug every library, these miraculous institutions where new horizons line the shelves, where minds go to grow.”
Joseph will be at Neath Library from 9am and at Llanelli library from 2.30pm on Saturday 9 September.
