National Literacy Trust interview – Pandemic Poetry and its benefits

By Luke Chapman | Charity, Interview, Poetry

The National Literacy Trust are an important part of the literacy world. From nurturing young writers, to helping underprivileged areas receive support, they’re crucial in boosting literacy levels and helping children read.

We had the opportunity to sit with Fay Lant from the Literacy Trust and talk about the wonderful work they do. 

We also talked about the benefits on mental health writing can have and how the lockdown has changed writing habits in under 18s. 

The Annual Literacy Survey from the Literacy Trust found that the amount children who enjoyed writing had increased from 35.8% to 39.8% over lockdown, whilst 21.4% of young people said they had started writing more in their free time since lockdown began.

This increase in writing has helped many get through the pandemic whilst allowing them to focus on something positive and create an outlet for their feelings. This is where Pandemic Poetry comes in...

We created the Pandemic Poetry - Futures of Hope competition to allow writers to use this outlet and create something positive. Giving writers the space to express their feelings and talk about their futures in a safe space.

To find out more about the Literacy trust, click here, or find out more about Pandemic Poetry here.

You can watch our interview with the Literacy Trust below.