Coelho, Goodfellow and Gill shortlisted for the 2023 CLiPPA

Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho is among those shortlisted for the 2023 Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Poetry Award (CLiPPA). US poets Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek are also featured on the list alongside Matt Goodfellow, who is shortlisted for a third consecutive year.

Meanwhile, Nikita Gill is on the shortlist for the second time in three years, and Nicola Davies’ "powerful examination of the refugee experience" has also been selected.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the CLiPPA awards highlights the best published poetry for children, with past winners including Carol Ann Duffy, John Agard, Jackie Kay and Michael Rosen. The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) announced this year’s shortlist at a live online event watched by school children in the UK.

Coelho, a former CLiPPA winner, is on the list for Blow a Kiss Catch a Kiss, illustrated by Nicola Killen (Andersen Press). The book is described by the judges as a "well-written, carefully considered first collection for the very young, full of poems which catch and reflect their emotions". 

Meanwhile, Davies is in the running with Choose Love, illustrated by Petr Horáček (Graffeg), praised for being "compassionate, campaigning and written from the heart". Gill’s book, These are the Words (Macmillan Children’s Books), is also featured on the shortlist. According to the judges, this is "a book that readers will hold to their hearts". 

Let’s Chase Stars Together (Bloomsbury Education), "a book that fully considers its intended audience," has earned Goodfellow his place on the list. He sits alongside Kooser and Wanek, authors of Marshmallow Clouds, illustrated by Richard Jones (Walker Books), of which the judges said: "With its beautifully crafted verse, it’s a book that demonstrates that good poetry for children transcends age barriers." 

Illustrator, former Waterstones Children’s Laureate and poetry anthologist Chris Riddell, chair of the judges, commented: “Judging the CLiPPA this year was both fascinating and uplifting. The submissions reflected the wealth of talent in the field of children’s poetry and an increasing quality in design and production. The shortlist we have chosen is as broad as possible ranging from preschool to YA and beyond into beautiful books to gift to all ages.”

Riddell is joined on the panel by 2022 CLiPPA winner poet Valerie Bloom, writer Indigo Williams, Jay Bhadricha, head of programmes at the Forward Arts Foundation, and Charlotte Hacking, learning and programmes director at CLPE. 

Louise Johns-Shepherd, CLPE chief executive, added: “Our recent research project, The Big Amazing Poetry Project, reveals how much enthusiasm there is for including poetry in the classroom; teachers told us how much they and their pupils enjoy the experience of reading and hearing poetry read, and how many also enjoy performing it themselves. 

"We were delighted therefore to be able to reveal the shortlist live for the first time with the special online event for schools and thrilled that the shortlisted poets were able to take part. These five superb poetry books will now be explored and enjoyed by children and young people across the country as they work up their CLiPPA poetry performances."

Schools are encouraged to explore the shortlist with their pupils by taking part in the annual Shadowing Scheme, which launches on 15th May 2023 with the aim of prompting poetry performances in classrooms. The winner will be announced at the CLiPPA Poetry Show, live onstage at the Olivier, the largest of the National Theatre’s three theatres, on Monday 10th July.