Joseph Coelho Explained

Joseph Coelho
Birth Place:Roehampton, England
Known For:Children's Laureate 2022-2024. Winner of the Carnegie Medal 2024.
Alma Mater:University College London
Partner:Manjeet Mann

Joseph Aaron Coelho is a British poet and children's book author who was Children's Laureate from 2022-2024. In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.[1] In 2024 he was announced the winner of the Carnegie Medal for his YA novel The Boy Lost In The Maze.

Personal life and education

Coelho grew up in a tower block in Roehampton, England, the son of a single parent.[2] [3] He became interested in poetry when Jean "Binta" Breeze visited his school whilst Coelho was in sixth form.[4] He took A-Levels in Theatre Studies, English, Chemistry, History and an A/S in Archaeology. Coelho was an undergraduate student in archaeology at University College London.[5] [6] [7] During his university days he directed plays at UCL, after which he took various jobs, including working at Camden Council.

Coehlo's romantic partner is Manjeet Mann.[8]

Career

Coelho started performing poetry with performance poetry organisation Apples and Snakes in 2002, performing on the London Poetry Scene. Coelho has a long history in theatre both on stage and behind the scenes, which begun as a youth at Group 64 in Putney. After University Coelho worked with many companies behind the scenes including, The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, The Unicorn Theatre, Half Moon Theatre, Talawa Theatre Company, Oily Cart, and Theatre Centre.

Coelho is also a playwright and has written plays for the following companies:

Before being published, Coelho worked extensively in schools engaging young people with literacy through the medium of poetry, running session through Performance Poetry Organisation Apples and Snakes, The Poetry Society, Creative Partnerships. Coelho often runs CPD sessions with teachers sharing ways to engage young people with poetry.

At the London Book Fair in 2012, Coelho met Janetta Otter-Barry, the founder of Otter-Barry books. This interaction launched Coelho's career as an author and published poet. In 2014 Coelho published Werewolf Club Rules,[9] a poetry anthology which was awarded the Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award.[10] [11] Coelho's second independent collection, Overheard in a Tower Block, was shortlisted for the Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award in 2018. Coelho has written over 20 books for young people spanning picture books, middle-grade and YA. Coelho's debut picture book Luna Loves Library Day with Fiona Lumbers was nominated for the 2018 Kate Greenaway Medal and chosen as one of the nation's top 25 stories to share by World Book Day UK. Coelho's debut YA verse novel, The Girl Who Became a Tree was shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and received a Special Mention for the 2021 Bologna Ragazzi Poetry Award.

Coelho is a children's author and poet who is committed to making the reading and writing of poetry accessible to all. As part of these efforts, in 2018 he created resources for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 students on understanding poetry.[12] The resources included a series of videos explaining the different formats of poetry, how to perform poetry and how to interpret poetry.

In 2022 Coelho was appointed the Children's Laureate. He has said that poetry was often what people turned to in times of need, “because we instinctively know, deep down in our core, that poetry transcends”.[13] He looks to improve diversity amongst the authors and illustrators on UK bookshelves. As part of his tenure as Children's Laureate he will focus on various different projects, Poetry Prompts, Bookmaker Like You and the Library Marathon. He launched Poetry Prompts, a set of online writing activities to inspire people to write their own poetry.[14] Additionally, he started a programme called Bookmaker Like You, which celebrates the authors, illustrators and publishers who underpin book creation. As part of the Library Marathon Coelho will visit a library in every local authority across the United Kingdom.[15] He was succeeded as Children's Laureate in July 2024 by Frank Cottrell-Boyce.[16]

Coelho was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to the Arts, to Children’s Reading and to Literature.

Publications

Picture books

Middle-Grade

Short-Stories

Poetry

Young adult

References

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Notes and References

  1. News: Royal Society of Literature aims to broaden representation as it announces 62 new fellows. Ella. Creamer. The Guardian. 12 July 2023.
  2. Web site: Joseph Coelho: library lover and poetry populariser . 2022-07-04 . The Irish Times . en . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190825/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/joseph-coelho-library-lover-and-poetry-populariser-1.3243907 . live .
  3. Web site: ALCS MY WRITING LIVING: JOSEPH COELHO . 2022-07-04 . www.alcs.co.uk . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191920/https://www.alcs.co.uk/news/my-writing-living-joseph-coelho . live .
  4. Web site: 2022-07-04 . Joseph Coelho on hoping to ‘diversify bookshelves’ as 12th Children’s Laureate . 2022-07-04 . The Independent . en . 2022-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704202523/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/waterstones-peru-league-jacqueline-wilson-michael-morpurgo-b2115621.html . live .
  5. Web site: 2022-07-04 . Joseph Coelho chosen as Britain’s new children’s laureate . 2022-07-04 . the Guardian . en . 2022-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704110416/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/04/joseph-coelho-britain-new-childrens-laureate-cressida-cowell . live .
  6. Web site: Dex . Robert . 2022-07-04 . New Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho wants to make a country of poets . 2022-07-04 . Evening Standard . en . 2022-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704114540/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/new-childrens-laureate-joseph-coelho-country-poets-b1009995.html . live .
  7. Web site: Poetry Joe: The world is getting smaller, art is more necessary than ever . 2022-07-04 . Words & Pictures . 2022-07-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706185640/https://www.wordsandpics.org/2016/06/Poetry-Joe-Coelho-world-smaller-art-necessary.html . live .
  8. Web site: Hacking . Charlotte . November 2021 . An Interview with Costa Book Award winner author Manjeet Mann . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220129124807/https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/an-interview-with-costa-shortlisted-author-manjeet-mann/ . 2022-01-29 . 2023-06-08 . Books For Keeps.
  9. Web site: Werewolf Club Rules . 2022-07-04 . CLPE . en . 2022-06-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220623070225/https://clpe.org.uk/books/book/werewolf-club-rules . live .
  10. Web site: Joseph Coelho Centre for Literacy in Primary Education . 2022-07-04 . clpe.org.uk . en . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191714/https://clpe.org.uk/poetry/poets/joseph-coelho . live .
  11. Web site: Honnor . Jessica . 2015-07-16 . Performance poet Joseph Coelho wins children's poetry award . 2022-07-04 . the Guardian . en . 2022-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704113405/https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/jul/16/clpe-childrens-poetry-award-2015-winner . live .
  12. Web site: English KS1 / KS2: Joseph Coelho - Understanding Poetry . 2022-07-04 . BBC Class Clips Video . en . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705212337/https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/english-ks1-ks2-understanding-poetry-with-joseph-coelho/zdhbqp3 . live .
  13. News: Singh . Anita . 2022-07-04 . Pupils should write poetry rather than read it, says new children’s laureate Joseph Coelho . en-GB . The Telegraph . 2022-07-04 . 0307-1235 . 2022-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704135009/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/07/04/pupils-should-write-poetry-rather-read-says-new-childrens-laureate/ . live .
  14. Web site: 'Poetry Prompts by Joseph Coelho' . 2022-07-04 . Discovering Children's Books, British Library . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191326/https://www.bl.uk/childrens-books/activities/poetry-prompts . live .
  15. News: 2022-07-04 . Joseph Coelho named children's laureate and vows to reinvent poetry's image . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-07-04 . 2022-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704113134/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-62034736 . live .
  16. News: 2024-07-02. Frank Cottrell-Boyce chosen as new children’s laureate. en-GB. The Guardian. 2024-07-12.
  17. Web site: If All the World Were . 2022-07-04 . www.booktrust.org.uk . en-GB . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191156/https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/i/if-all-the-world-were/ . live .
  18. Web site: Booksellers Association - Pat Barker, Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys, and Catherine Doyle win the Independent Bookshop Week . 2022-07-04 . The Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland Limited . 2022-07-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220703002959/https://booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/latestnews/Pat-Barker,-Joseph-Coelho-and-Allison-Colpoys,-and . live .
  19. Web site: 2021-08-04 . 5 new books to read this week . 2022-07-04 . The Independent . en . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190715/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/leila-slimani-stephen-king-one-family-stoughton-b1896624.html . live .
  20. Web site: ‘Extraordinary’ Joseph Coelho novel wins Carnegie medal for children’s writing . 2024-06-21 . amp.theguardian.com.

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