How old were you when you started writing poetry?
I was about 8 years old.
Have you had any of your work published? If yes, tell us more!
No, I haven’t been lucky enough to have any of my work published ... yet!
Where do you find your inspiration?
Well, it’s kind of random. For instance, I wrote one of my poems ‘In Memory of Rose’ for my Year 3 teacher who passed away, yet my poem ‘Be Nice to Royalty’ just came from a few lines I thought of whilst tidying my room!
How would you describe your poetry style?
I don’t really know how I would describe it, except that I like it to rhyme and there are usually one or two humorous lines in there somewhere!
Who’s your favourite poet?
Definitely Spike Milligan!
Who are your literary idols?
Roald Dahl and JK Rowling.
What are your writing ambitions?
Well I would like to have at least one of my poems published in a proper book or, even better, to write my own poetry book and illustrate it!
But that’s really for when I’m older; for now, my writing ambition is to win a Brit Writers’ Award.
How did it feel to perform ‘The Word Weed’ at the first ever Brit Writer’s Awards award ceremony?
It felt amazing and I was actually quite proud of myself afterwards ... but it was also really scary and very nerve-racking, seeing as the last time I had visited the O2 was to watch the Spice Girls in concert!
Did you have a favourite part of the award ceremony, other than performing?
Well I was really lucky to even be there, and I loved watching the faces of the award-winners turn from shocked to delighted as they got called up to the stage. But my favourite part of the evening was watching the 3 other poets perform. They were all amazing and so much better than me, which was exciting because it made me think how awesome it would be if I’m as good as them when I’m their age!
Have you made poetry cool in your school?
Well, I’m not overly sure whether I’ve made it cool, but I’ve certainly made an impression ... and one thing’s for sure: they won’t be forgetting me very soon!
What would you say to school kids who think poetry is boring and old-fashioned?
Most people who think poetry is boring and old-fashioned haven’t actually read very much of it, so I would tell them that just because they aren’t poetry lovers, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try it before judging.
What advice can you give to budding young writers?
Truthfully, I don’t really have much to say except that, you shouldn’t give up if something doesn’t go the way you had planned, or you don’t win a particular award; there are loads more to win and once something goes right, it just keeps getting better : ) ... mostly.
