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I’m hoping my writing will lead to a greater degree of empathy among both adults and children. I’m hoping that it makes people feel less alone... – Joshua Seigal
I was accused of making light of a serious condition, so I took the poem down. But as someone who suffers from this condition, the humour is a really important part of what helps me navigate the world.”
Joshua believes that poetry also has the potential to positively impacts upon empathy and understanding. ‘I’m hoping my writing will lead to a greater degree of empathy among both adults and children. I’m hoping that it makes people feel less alone, and that they realise the importance of love, in all its many guises. I’m hoping that children are not defined by the labels that adults put on them, and that these labels never, ever put a limit on their potential. I hope they realise that they are good people, with the potential to do good, but that it’s nonetheless okay to feel bad sometimes.’
Joshua describes how Joseph Coelho’s tenure as Children’s Laureate has been part of a sea change in attitudes to poetry. “I am seeing more poetry in
bookshops, and many schools eager to invite poets in.”
Joshua feels that children’s poets generally are very supportive of one another and of the form, “a wonderful poet called Roger Stevens was the person who introduced me to my editor at Bloomsbury. We tend not to be competitive, and one person’s success is seen as a success for the genre as a whole. Poets who write for grown-ups can be supportive, but you can also get that competitive edge creeping in.” As well as Roger Stevens and Michael Rosen who have been influential for Joshua, he’s keen to discuss others whose work he rates highly, saying: “Neal Zetter is a poet who was extremely helpful in giving me advice when I was getting started as a freelancer, and we are still good friends and occasional poetic collaborators. In terms of performance,
John Hegley is very influential. I have seen him hold a room full of people of all ages, and it was really inspiring. My writing is also influenced by Simon Armitage, and the American poet Kenn Nesbitt. I am also inspired by watching stand up comedians, as I tend to interlace my poetry performances with funny anecdotes. ‘
Joshua is brimming with ideas and describes how he has several more books in the pipeline as well as some poetry for adults which he is hoping to publish. He’s keen to avoid saying more than that ‘I don’t want to jinx it!’ PEN&INC.
To find out more about Joshua and his work, visit
www.joshuaseigal.co.uk
Spring-Summer 2024
PEN&INC. 19
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