School visits/consultancy

Shaun Traynor

Poet, Teacher, Children’s Novelist

Editor of The Poolbeg Book of Irish Poetry for Children.

Expert on Irish Poetry and on Poetry for Children.

Member of The Society of Authors

Does make occasional school visits to do workshops with pupils or talk to staff as inset on Creative Writing or simply to make some Storytelling.

INSET

How (and why) do we get pupils to write. Discuss –

This is my most popular topic for INSET and one where teachers’ input is highly valued.

WORKSHOP

Some kids’ poems and poems for children can be fun or at least funny and my workshops include examples of these; however I try to move a little deeper, try to get pupils to gauge the very essence of communicating and expressing ideas and feelings.

My workshops concentrate on the use of language; how is it that the language of poetry is instinctively different from everyday English?

And (paradoxically) why is it that poems nowadays don’t have to rhyme – they can if you want – we have freedom of expression; a a freedom to be true to a poem’s inspiration, how it is formed in the sub-conscious and this will depend on our experiences, our reading, our moods... Robert Graves once said a poem is always already written, we only have to uncover it the from sand.

These workshops can lead to performance, they do lead to work-satisfaction, a sense of achievement and high self esteem.

STORYTELLING

Can be fun – even gripping – but it can also be lyrical and many of my stories depend for their “enchantment” on the use of language ... these sessions are about enjoyment and the thrill of listening.

SCHOOL VISITS

Inset £150

Storytelling £150 half day

Workshop £400 full day with performance