Contact
poetliz @ mac.com
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School Zoom Visits
I am available at very reasonable rates for Zoom visits – as long as the school buys books to accompany the reading/workshop etc!
Zooms can include a warm-up reading of funny and interesting poems, with shape poems and animated poems. The children will join in with interactive poems – and receive hints on how to memorise and perform a poem.
Shaping the World is a book of shape poems about 20 female and 20 male heroes who have helped shape the world. Each poem has bio and fun fact about the subject of the poem. Full of people children should know about as per the primary curriculum.
Apes to Zebras is an A-Z of animal shape poems. Simple animal poems can be written by the children after the Zoom. Word documents explain how to make them into shapes can be emailed to the school.
Workshops using Being Me can use poems in the book to help children write poems about themselves, and their experiences.
Workshops about self expression, ambition, fairness, discrimination, human rights etc. use Reaching the Stars, Poems about Extraordinary Women and Girls.
Workshops using The Same Inside, Poems abut Empathy and Friendship can use many of the poems in the book to celebrate our similarities and differences, and focus on how little this matters.
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My Y6 class loved the poems and were enthralled to learn about some of the incredible creatures; there were gasps when read the info about the Madagascan robber moth and its diet, and the poem became the catalyst for their own writing. Matt Goodfellow, Yr 6 Teacher and Poet.
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.“Liz Brownlee was wonderful – the children were gripped throughout.” “Liz enthused the year 6 children at our school with her poems about endangered animals. Her subject knowledge was excellent, she was able to answer some quite obscure questions! The images which accompanied Liz’s talk were extremely engaging and provided talking points throughout and after the discussion. The children thoroughly enjoyed the session and we would definitely invite Liz and her glamorous assistants back!” Reports by Literacy Leaders at Bridport primary schools, Read/Write South West, Bridport Open Book Festival.
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Liz took part in our reading for 8-11 year olds, Incredibly Incorrigible Poems, in February 2017. She read from her collection Animal Magic and had created the most wonderful powerpoint slides of shape poems that brought her words to life as she read them and engaged the young audience. Liz was completely professional throughout and it was a pleasure to have her read for us. Lorraine Mariner National Poetry Library, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank London.
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Liz Brownlee made a very successful contribution to the Exeter Poetry Festival 2017, leading a day-long family drop-in event at Exeter Central Library. Participants described it as both ‘fun’ and ‘inspirational’, and there was a steady flow of business through the day. We’d certainly use Liz again – the set-up is imaginative and involving and Liz has a lovely, sympathetic touch with children (and parents). Alasdair Paterson, Chair, Exeter Poetry Festival.
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The children were totally engaged right from the off, reading Liz’s brilliant poems and observing the clever animations; she even wrote a personal poem for the children about Chinchillas which is the name of our class. The resources she brought with her were engaging too and the children were able to interact with them – the puppets and the magnetic words.
The children were then inspired to write their own poems about rainforest animals which were fantastic, they were very proud of them. During the workshop, Liz was supporting the children and offering ideas and was warm and encouraging at all times. Throughout the creative writing process the children were encouraged by Liz to read out their poems which they loved. Zoe Abbott, Teacher, Stanton Drew Primary School.
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Readings
I have read at Cheltenham, Bristol and Bath poetry festivals, in libraries, at Bristol Green Week Festival and other nature festivals for adults, children and mixed audiences.
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Reading at Topping & Company Booksellers, Bath
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Powerpoint and reading at Downend Library, Bristol
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Readings, fabulous facts, and fun with the poetry puzzle (below) at Bristol Green Week
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Poetry Exhibition
In 2009 I organised a successful 10 day family-fun poetry exhibition as part of Bristol Poetry Festival.
The exhibition is available for hire for poetry festivals etc. It comprises 30 laminated shape poems and 30 illustrated poems for hanging on the wall, mobiles of palindrome poems, a giant wooden puzzle with a poem on both sides, a giant magnetic poetry set with three giant boards which can be hung on the wall or freestanding, videos of children intercut with professional children’s poets reading and a wicker ‘poet tree’ for hanging poems on.
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The wall of shape poems
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One of the giant magnetic poetry boards with a poet!
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One of the palindrome poem mobiles – it can be read downwards or upwards. Words by Jane Clarke.
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Having made the puzzle together, one boy reads the poem to another
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Proud poet at the ‘Poet-Tree’
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The whole exhibition can be seen on Flikr here: Bristol Poetry Exhibition 2009
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Want To Write Children’s Poetry?
I tutor people. Contact – lizpoet (at) gmail.com
Recommendation by Matt Goodfellow, children’s poet:
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Liz Brownlee is, first and foremost, an outstanding poet.
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Her body of work is beautifully crafted and she writes with a clarity and precision rare among her contemporaries. She is also a skilled and sensitive tutor of those who wish to write poetry for children. Her critical eye and honest, yet supportive feedback allows students to quickly and effectively target areas of their writing which need improvement.
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The feedback and guidance which Liz gave me allowed me to transform my writing.
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Since acting on her advice, my poems have been published in books and magazines around the world.
Contact me at the email address at the top to find to more about any of these services.
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