About the Author

Chrissie Gittins writes poetry for children, poetry and short stories for adults, and radio drama. Her children's poems are included in many Macmillan, Scholastic, Pearson Education and Hodder Wayland anthologies. Both her children's collections (Now You See Me, Now You … and I Don’t Want an Avocado for an Uncle) were shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award. Avocado was also a ‘choice’ for the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf, and was one of four single-poet collections selected for the Boys into Books booklist. She won the 2002 Belmont Poetry Prize for single children’s poems, and was runner-up.

Chrissie is a trained and experienced teacher and has worked as a poet in schools, libraries and prisons for over ten years. She is part of the Poetry Society's poetryclass training team for teachers and has tutored school groups for the Arvon Foundation. Chrissie was Poet-in-Residence with twelve Southwark primary schools 2002/3, with Croydon Libraries 2003/4 and in 2005 she toured ten isolated primary and secondary schools on the western seaboard of the Highlands. In October 2007 she was one of 14 poets invited to give workshops at Buckingham Palace.

Chrissie is featured in Michael Rosen’s A-Z of the Best of Children’s Poetry (Puffin, 2009) and on the Oxfam CD of Poems for Children. She has read her children’s poems at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, the Hay Festival, the Ilkley Literature Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. She contributed to the Cbeebies poetry programme Poetry Pie.

School Visits

Chrissie enjoys working with KS1, KS2 and Years 7 & 8

Chrissie usually runs 3 workshop sessions per day and a reading, or 4 workshops sessions.

A class size is ideal for workshops.

With children from Y4 upwards Chrissie likes to work with the children sitting on chairs in a circle. Chrissie will read the children some of her poetry and then play a few warm up games and then move imperceptibly into writing poems by working on an idea or looking at a poem written by Chrissie or another poet. The children write group poems, individual poems and every child contributes orally.

Readings:

3rd June - Hay Festival

Early July - Dorking Waterstones

4th/5th September - Wordplay Festival, Shetland

2nd October - Wigtown Book Festival, Dumfries & Galloway

November - Peckham Literary Festival

Testimonials

The Humpback's Wail

Pie Corbett, unprompted, wrote this comment which appears on the back of the book:

'Chrissie Gittins' poems are imaginative snapshots taken with a quirky edge that appeals to children. She crafts the language and surprises the reader; many of the poems would act as creative catalysts for children's own writing. She is one of the best 'children's poets' currently writing and visiting schools.'

Highland Tour

“The work with the children was very well planned and paced and kept all the stages of children enthusiastic and involved”
Catriona McCowan, Head Teacher Applecross Primary School.

“We are so pleased with the school sessions. Besides being a skilled poet you have a lovely manner with the children.”
Linda Crossley-Holland

Visit to Glenfall Primary School, Cheltenham

“The children have been talking to me with affection about the afternoon Chrissie spent with us. They are quite discerning in their evaluation of the quality of their experiences. I have yet to hear a negative comment from them – they thoroughly enjoyed the way Chrissie brought her poetry, which appealed greatly, to life. Teachers were also quick to praise the quality of her poetry and presentation and have worked with their classes to produce a wealth of poems in the ‘Chrissie Gittins’ style.”
Anthony Sutcliffe, Headteacher

• Now You See Me, Now You … (Rabbit Hole, 2002)
• I Don't Want an Avocado for an Uncle (Rabbit Hole, 2006)