Helên Thomas is a performance poet who appears regularly on the UK poetry circuit.

Her first taste of poetic success came in 1985 when she won a prize in She Magazine’s National Poetry Competition with “Ode To Bad Poetry”.

In October 2000 she won the Manchester Poetry Festival Slam. Her poems have appeared in various magazines and anthologies in print and online, and her collection for 7-11 year olds "We Are Poets!" was published early 2008.

She has performed at a range of venues including schools, libraries, tents, a canal barge, an ancient historical monument, lots of pubs and the occasional theatre. She has wowed audiences from Borders Books to The Bowery Club New York; from folk clubs to fringe festivals; from Cheshire to Cheltenham, and she once won a karaoke competition in Cairns, Australia!

In 2004 Helên Thomas joined forces with primary school teacher Kate McGann and devised the performance piece We Are Poets!

In the roles of Penelope Page and Gabby Mouth, they ask the all-important questions: What is a poet? What does a poet do? What do poets look like? Performances are followed by workshops that enable children to write and perform their own work with confidence.

All of the poems in the collection We Are Poets! were written by Helên and feature in the original We Are Poets! show or in the follow up We Are Poets Stuck In The Airport!

For more information about performances and workshops please visit: www.creativewomensnetwork.co.uk/CWNWeArePoets.htm

DIRT MAGNET

What’s the point of earwax,
And the slime that’s up my nose?
Why can’t I plant a seed in there,
And see if something grows?

Why is my belly button
Full of fluff and goo?
Why do spilt spaghetti hoops
Stick to me like glue?

Why is there always custard
Dried upon my chin?
And why do I make so much gas
That’s better out than in?

Why is there always soil
And grass stains on my knees?
Why do my socks get scuffed with oil
And always smell like cheese?

Why is half the garden
Underneath my nails?
And why does my hair tangle
Like a mesh of mad rats’ tails?

Why is that place behind my ears
Always thick with grime.
And why is my grey, unwashed neck
Worse than any crime?

Where does all that dust come from
That’s in between my toes,
And why is there so much of it?
My Mum says that she knows

The reason I’m so grungy,
It’s a power I exert,
The muck’s attracted to me,
I’m a magnet for the dirt!

Titles by Helên Thomas

We Are Poets!

***The Poetry Kit's "Book of the Month" for June 2008***

The much anticipated poetry collection for children from Helên Thomas, the 2000 Manchester Poetry Festival Slam champion.

The poems in this book have been performed in schools by dynamic performance poetry duo We Are Poets! The duo comprises of proper, posh poet Penelope Page and grubby, street poet Gabby Mouth.

Penelope Page thinks she’s posh. She likes to use her imagination to write poetry about ice cream, fruit bats and lovely toyshops. Gabby Mouth has scabby knees and writes about ladies who burp and people who don’t wash.

All of the poems in this book are written by Helên and feature in the original We Are Poets! show or in the follow up We Are Poets Stuck In The Airport!

With over 20 illustrations by Paul Neads.

"This book of young people's verse will have your sprogs agog with humour both cheeky and endearing. The right side of risky and just a little frisky, We Are Poets! by Helên Thomas promises mirth from the offset. You'd be a bad parent if you didn't buy this book," - Chloe Poems

“I love your poems so much, I think you deserve a treat,” - Year 1 pupil at Holy Spirit Primary School, Merseyside

"Helên sets about planting seeds with this super collection of contemporary poetry for children. She is well known for her entertaining and thought provoking poetry readings and school theatre and with this book sets about translating some of her energy, enthusiasm and playfulness to the page. Playing with structure and form she produces magical poetry which shows how relevant poetry can be. It's fun, it's amazing, it's Helên on top form. Some great illustrations by Paul Neads. This is a collection that should be in every school library," - Jim Bennet, The Poetry Kit

Price £5.99

Details

• ISBN 9780955509209
• Publisher Flapjack Press
• Genre Poetry
• Extent 52pp