Children’s Poetry in the UK.
The celebrated children's poet and author Vernon Scannell recently berated me for the title of my latest anthology, The Secret Life of Pants. As is often the way, the title was chosen by the publisher. I understand Vernon’s concern. In the last few years there has been a tendency to dumb down children’s poetry - with shelf-loads of books trying to tempt children, especially boys, with near-scatological titles featuring poems about nose-picking and poo. When the first of these, The Spot on my Bum by Gez Walsh, appeared in 1997, it sold in huge numbers which is why sales-hungry publishers have oft echoed the theme ever since.
Of course, one mustn't judge a house solely on the quality of its gingerbread walls. Even the masterful Michael Rosen has succumbed with his Centrally Heated Knickers. Still, I can’t help but reflect that Robert Louis Stevenson was probably never urged to call his children’s collection My Little Tree House is Pants.
There is a thriving market for children’s poetry in the UK, although in the last two years the number of books published for this audience has decreased. So I suppose one can understand why publishers resort to any trick they can to sell poems which are always fighting for shelf space with children's fiction and glossy pop-up books about dinosaurs and pirates. Publishers also have to deal with booksellers who have no interest in poetry. (The manager of a WH Smith branch* once said to me: “Hmm, let me see, I think we do have a children’s poetry book somewhere, if we haven’t sold it. It’s one of those treasuries.”) The majority of adults, i.e. parents, are also indifferent to poetry and, in some cases, it seems, so are the very sales and PR people tasked with bringing it to market. Too often this area of publishing is staffed by those who regard poetry as a rather whimsical distraction from the real business of finding the next JK Rowling. This is a shame, as there is a veritable smorgasbord of poetry in print which could find many more readers were it more vigorously promoted.
The children’s poetry market in the UK is still reasonably buoyant, despite publishers tightening their belts. Macmillan’s popularising of the themed anthology has particularly created real opportunities for new children’s poets. In fact, in the UK, there is a wealth of children’s poetry being published — from the eager offerings of small presses to the award-winning works of the major players. Let’s hope the market remains vibrant and we can continue to show the public — adults and children — that there’s more to poetry than words that rhyme with poo, pants or noses.
Roger Stevens is a popular children's poet and performer who visits schools, libraries, festivals and museums all over the UK.
Roger’s poems for children appear in more than 250 anthologies. His books include two solo collections, The Monster That Ate The Universe (Macmillan) and I Did Not Eat The Goldfish (Macmillan), anthologies – most recently, The Secret Life of Pants (A and C Black), On My Way to School I Saw a Dinosaur (Hands Up Books) for younger children and a verse-novel for teenagers, The Journal of Danny Chaucer (Poet) (Orion) – which was broadcast on the BBC’s Radio 4. His latest collection of children’s poetry is Why Otters Don’t Wear Socks (Macmillan) – published in 2007.
For a taste of his work and to access a wide range of teachers' resource material visit Roger’s award-winning children’s website www.poetryzone.co.uk. Roger is a member of the Poetry Society’s Poetryclass initiative for school INSET programmes and teacher training.
*A UK book and media chain
