Date: March 2014
John Siddique is a world class poet. He is currently Royal Literary Fund Fellow at York St John University, has worked in Los Angeles for the British Council and has been poet for the city of Blackpool. He freely admits to finding his voice through his local public library. What a message for our children.
John continues his spellbinding relationship with young people. The sheer joy of these images tells you everything about his ability to entertain and explore language.
He has been a regular visitor to schools as part of Kahani. His work with staff and students have left schools feeling buzzing and empowered about literacy, language and communication.
His impact has led to one school engaging him for a whole year’s work with pupils linked to creative writing. The workshops have resulted in children being more confident in their use of language. A summer reading challenge conducted by John left 2 boys who attended raving about him. Their school immediately booked him for an INSET. His Pakistani heritage means he’s a fantastic literary role model, particularly for boys.
Kahani has introduced John to schools and combined with the exceptional reading resource pack this has led to marked improvements in reading, writing, engagement with school and an enjoyment of learning.
A literacy coordinator commented that Muslim children already argue over borrowing the limited number of books about Pakistan, Eid, Ramadan etc. They are so happy to be reading books that they can relate to. Imagine the impact of seeing 200 beautiful books that validate and celebrate their experience.
