11:45AM, Tuesday 01 August 2023
Simon Mole - Photo Credit Hugo Glendinning
Families searching for things to do in the summer holidays might enjoy the chance to spend some time with published poet Simon Mole.
The author of ‘I Love My Bike’ will be appearing at Burnham Library on Thursday, August 10 where he will run two workshops, helping children to fall in love with literature through his lively performances and search for adventure.
The Maidenhead-based author, who is one of this year’s National Poetry Day ambassadors, will not only perform on the day but help children create poems of their own based on their love of riding bikes.
Simon said he loves ‘getting out and about’ on bikes himself and was inspired to write ‘I Love My Bike’ after teaching his own children how to ride.
He added: “I’ve always loved bikes but was quite surprised by how brilliant it was introducing bike riding to my children. After teaching them to ride their bikes around this area I was inspired to write.
“That moment of learning to ride a bike is ‘up there’ with first steps, first words. It is about riding a bike but it’s also really about perseverance and accomplishing something and then what that leads on to.
“Bikes are amazing - every little journey is a little adventure. Bikes increase kids’ independence and freedom as they grow up.”
Simon regularly performs his poetry in schools, at festivals and in theatres and will be encouraging children to be creative by using lots of games and activities.
“Essentially it’s about playing with words. We’ll do some fun, ‘up on your feet’ stuff and hopefully that will generate the content they need for their piece," he said.
Events like these not only inspire creativity and activity in children, they also help the Sunday Times shortlisted best children’s sports writer to create future works.
Simon added: “The community and education base work that I do is very much part of my own process as well. If I am writing poems for a book or a show I will try them out on school groups that I work with or potentially workshop some ideas with them.
“Supporting their creative process is part of my own creative process as well.”
The event is part of Buckinghamshire Libraries’ Ready Set Read summer reading challenge which has a sports theme this year. Simon will appear at other libraries, the full list can be found at: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/campaign/summer-reading-challenge/#fun-library-events-this-summer
Since publishing ‘I Love My Bike’ Simon has written another in the series called ‘I Love My Cat’ with the aim of encouraging children to ‘see the magic in everyday things.’
For more information: www.simonmole.com
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