The Language of Childhood

What was your first word? Did you have your own secret language as a child? What do you recall from books or rhymes you read in your early years–Quangle-Wangles, cats in hats, great green rooms with balloons where you said ‘goodnight mush’?

Adult poets are often afraid to experiment with onomatopoeia, alliteration, neologisms or nonsense, thinking they belong in children’s poems. In this session Clare Pollard, poet and author of Fierce Bad Rabbits: The Tales Behind Children’s Picture Books, will challenge this and delve into poets who draw powerfully on the language of childhood, from Ted Hughes to Rita Dove. Expect temporary lapses from grown-up burdens with lots of exercises and the chance to write about your own memories through fantasy, silliness and play.