Writers visit local schools as part of Bradford Literature Festival

Aiming to encourage a love of reading, creative writing and performing in local young people, the partnership will see writers and poets taking part in the festival visit schools and community centres.

Award-winning poet and writer Anthony Anaxagorou has already visited Hanson School as part of the project, where pupils from Dixons Allerton Academy were also attending. He then visited University Academy Keighley where he was joined by pupils from Horton Park Primary, and also spoke to pupils at Grange Technology College.

Imran Hafeez, manager of the National Literacy Trust hub in Bradford, said: “The National Literacy Trust Hub in Bradford is all about inspiring young people and families to engage with literacy, so we’re very pleased to have this exciting event help us to extend the reach of literacy support in the district.”

Irna Qureshi, Director of the Bradford Literature Festival, said it was important the event didn’t exist in a bubble, but aimed to help the entire community. “We’re committed to raising aspirations in the city and we believe the key to achieving this is through unlocking literacy skills.

“Writers and performers from a range of backgrounds have the power to inspire young people to develop a love of and enthusiasm for reading, writing and storytelling that will stay with them throughout their lives and help them achieve their ambitions.”

Symia Aslam, another of the festival’s founders, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Bradford Hub, who have been instrumental in helping us engage local schools and the wider community effectively – essential work that we will build on year after year.”

Mr Anaxagorou will also be celebrating the pupils’ successful participation in the Bradford Hub’s creative writing programme, ‘Our Stories,’ which encourages children, especially boys, to do more creative writing.

Mr Hafeez said: “We’re thrilled by teachers and pupils’ enthusiasm for the Our Stories programme, which aims to make poetry speak directly to youngsters, giving them the motivation to explore writing and expand their horizons.”

Nicola Koch-Osbourne is the Learning Resource Centre Manager who organised the visit to Grange Technology College, said: “The students were captivated by Anthony’s performance and asked him some really interesting questions both during and after the assembly, when many of them came to get Anthony’s autograph.

“We hope the festival will inspire our students to read more and to recognise the value in creative writing.”

Writers taking part in the Bradford Literature Festival will also be visiting venues around Bradford during the next fortnight with a view to inspiring even more of those budding wordsmiths. Arifa Akbar, journalist and former literary editor of The Independent will be at Beckfoot Upper Heaton’s Sixth Form and poet Nick Toczek will visit St Edmunds Children’s Centre. Islamic Educator, Aisha Gray, will be visiting Al-Mustafa Cultural and Education Centre.

Mukesh Nar, Deputy Head at Hanson Primary School said: “Making poetry come alive is the sustainable way of ensuring young people take the pleasure with them into adulthood. The poetry intervention and workshops led today have had a huge impact on our students. They now believe that poetry can be fun.”

Mr Anaxagorou said: “It is vital to give young people the experience and show that poetry can be taught in a different way and shown in all its dynamism, shapes and forms. With a poet visit the interaction is face to face and helps to make poetry more human and not just something you read in a textbook.

"Poetry has the power to help break down barriers and forge understanding of different people’s views. In a sense it can help to transcend the rigidity of academia and talk to our human elements. Presenting opinions and topics that are in the listeners frames of reference and culture also helps them to engage and develop their own writing.”