Published poet and Cardiff Met Creative Writing lecturer Christina Thatcher has led lively reading, writing and reciting sessions with primary learners at Llanishen Library.
The Year 4 students aged seven and eight dissected issues - like what sea animal it is best to be - with poet Christina on hand to help them find out!
The group read poems, played with words and answered pressing questions like: Are you a tiger or shark? A cupcake or cloud?
Every student wrote their own piece and contributed lines to a group poem which was shared out at the end of the session.
Christina believes that reading transforms us, writing drives social change and doing both benefits the world. She has run hundreds of workshops across south Wales for schools, youth and community centres, art galleries and non-profits organizations.
Christina was a very keen reader as a child and now sits on Literature Wales’ Management Board. She said: “I love leading poetry sessions with children. Their curiosity and enthusiasm always makes for fun, original poems. But, perhaps more importantly, many of my university students say that their love of writing started when they were young. This was true for me as well – I’ve been writing since I was seven or eight years old. If we can encourage children to develop their love of reading and writing from a young age then wonderful things can happen for them and for our literary community.”
Elizabeth Baker from Cardiff Libraries added: “Our community hubs provide everyone with a wealth of information, resources, activities and cultural opportunities. They are places of ambition and learning where people can gain new skills, leading to employment and prosperity. Our community and wellbeing hubs encourage people to be active and healthy through a range of health information services and partnership.
“By engaging with partners and organisations, we can work together to provide children and young people with the opportunity to participate in informative and creative opportunities and support their educational development.”
To read this story in Welsh, click here.
