Written in the Scottish dialect, this poem tells the story of Tam, a rather reckless and hedonistic farmer, who, after a night of heavy drinking, encounters a supernatural gathering on his way home. It's a timeless and beloved piece of Scottish literature. The language is fabulous, though you may need a dictionary - I certainly would do, but I'm lazy and just gather the gist from the context, lol. If you have a listen to Karen Dunbar on YouTube though, her performance is re

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the most epic narrative poem ever. What a story! It shows how a thoughtless act can have everlasting consequences - when the Mariner kills the innocent albatross, it is wrong, a cowardly act, and he is unable to ever, ever escape the lasting burden. Rich in symbolism, moral depth, and vivid imagery. It's one of the best examples of Romantic poetry, depicting the power of nature, the mystery of the supernatural, and the profound psychological

Check out this poem by Edgar Allan Poe - it's such a haunting tribute to eternal love. I completely adore it. The intense emotional depth makes it sooooo moving. In it, love transcends the biggest and most cruel, yet inevitable, separation: death. The 'kingdom by the sea' is timeless and ethereal, giving the poem a fairytale quality. The verses flow; the repetition of 'Annabel Lee' creates a sense of longing and devotion, as if the narrator is trying to cling to the memory of

In 1871 Lewis Carol wrote the novel, 'Through the Looking Glass' - a sequel to 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (1865). Included in it was this nonsense poem about the killing of a 'Jabberwocky' - a fictitious creature. I'm gonna admit right here: I cannot stand the novels and pictures and films about Alice - all my life I've disliked them intensely! I know they're really clever etc but to me they are just far too mad. I don't want to bother with the meaning and the clevern

I have to include a bit of Shakespeare - the absolute master of poetry and storytelling. I think so many people have been turned off Shakespeare, possibly while studying his plays at school, because the subject has been badly taught. Some people like to show off and make others feel intellectually inferior, quoting passages and acting like they're really clever... But here's the thing: Shakespeare wrote his plays for everyone , and that's part of his incredible skill. To be a

This is fabulous, in a really depressing way... an absolute masterpiece of Gothic poetry. Spooky atmosphere, rich symbolism, and a narrative that draws the reader into the speaker’s deepening despair - it's just sooooo well written. Grief and the finality of death; the concluding image of the speaker’s soul being trapped in the raven's shadow, with no hope of escape - it all leaves such a deep sense of unease and sorrow. My oh my, not one of my favourite's, but how can I not

Here's another glorious epic story, told in narrative verse. It was reading things like this that lead me to choose this form for my Chloe Tales Series. I enjoy a good story and I enjoy rhyme - that's all there is to it! I love the descriptions of the fruits - so luxurious and enticing - appealing to all the senses and making your mouth water. Words like “plump,” “lush,” “sweet,” and “ripe” create a sense of abundance and temptation. But the sensory pleasure is undercut by th

What about this one... it's so fabulous! Such lovely imagery and rhythm... wow. I first encountered this poem when I was at primary school - probably around year six. It made quite an impression on me then. I already loved driving across Dartmoor, and this helped grow my fascination with the eerie desolation of the moor. I ended up living there for a while, as an adult, and it still held a sort of romantic, but slightly scary, spooky grasp on my imagination. In The Highwayman

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow , is another of my absolute favourite poems - I love the rhythm and the wonderful imagery. What I love most is beautiful old Nokomis, Hiawatha’s grandmother, a wise and caring figure. I'd luv to have snuggled up with her when I was little - her stories would have soon soothed me to sleep. She's deeply connected to the natural world and the spiritual realm, passing on her knowledge and cultural stories to Hiawatha. Through her, the poem introduces

This is one of my top favourite poems, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson - narrative verse can be so brilliant and evocative... I absolutely love the descriptions - especially the ones about Sir Lancelot - they're sumptuous. 'His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd; On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode...' Omg this is soooo gorgeous. And, 'Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather...' - scrumptious, I swear I fell for him every bit as much as the Lady of Shalott did. For me, argument

I'd like to share with you this beautiful poem for children, written by Eugene Field and first published in 1889. Apparently the original title was "Dutch Lullaby" - and lullaby it most certainly is... It's a fantasy bed-time story about three little children sailing and fishing among the stars from their little boat, which is a wooden shoe. The names imply a sleepy child's blinking eyes and nodding head, and the spelling of the names, and the "wooden shoe," suggest Dutch lan

As I prepared to visit Roselands School for my book reading event, I felt excitement mixed with a few nerves. I'd visited over 20 schools...

What a journey this was for me… I suppose it started all the way back in my childhood. From the get go I was extremely obsessed with colours and patterns - my earliest memories are of things I could see around me in my cot - and I had strong preferences then which I retain to this day. Some things give me tremendous pleasure to behold, others I find physically repellent - perhaps it’s a symptom of some sort of neurodiversity, but there it is. So, as soon as I could get my lit

So, from my first ever visit to a primary school, Upton St James in Torquay, on 21st May 2024, performing ‘Chloe and the Bright Idea’, to now, 30 schools later, it’s been a steep learning curve. One of my preconceived ideas was about how much knowledge the children would have - it turned out to be a lot more than I’d given them credit for. Some of their questions really had me stumped, the science ones in particular. I had to consult a chemist I know to learn the reason why a

Have a listen to my first interview with Radio Cornwall. I must say it was a bit nerve-racking... Prior to the event I was invited to...

A couple of days ago I went to this school to do a performance of my book, 'Chloe and the Bright Idea'. It seemed like the whole school...

I'm delighted to say that my wonderful children's book, 'Chloe and the Bright Idea', published in August 2024, is now stocked in the...