Research: Books

Making Poetry Happen: Transforming the Poetry Classroom builds on the research and shared workshop experiences from the ESRC Poetry Matters seminars which were first reported in Making Poetry Matter. The book explores the impact of these practices in classrooms. It is packed with useful guidance, practical ideas and poet/teacher reflections about teaching poetry across the 5 -19 age range. It includes chapters written by poets, primary, secondary and post-16 teachers and teacher educators. For further info go to: http://tinyurl.com/zdvfjt8

We are delighted that this book has been shortlisted for the UKLA Academic Book Award

Making Poetry Matter: International Research on Poetry Pedagogy

This book includes papers and reflections from the ESRC -funded Poetry Matters seminar series (2012 -2013) which I convened with Andrew Lambirth and Anthony Wilson. Hardback (published Bloomsbury 2013) & Paperback in2015.  To preview some sections of the book or to purchase go to Making Poetry Matter

This rich and invigorating book provides a much-needed argument for the place of poetry in 21st century English curriculum, and a grounded and practical resource for reading, teaching, writing, analysing, performing and making poetry. Bringing together academics, practicing poets and classroom teachers, it offers a set of nuanced and wide ranging reflections on the pragmatics and possibilities of teaching poetry and timely and sensitive instances of good pedagogy and responsive teaching in current times. It will be warmly welcomed by English and literacy teachers, academics and the profession alike. Most importantly, it provides real opportunities to make a difference; to enhance and open up the experience of literature in young people’s lives. – Catherine Beavis, Professor of Education, Griffith University, Australia.

To access papers, posters and some of the discussion from ESRC Poetry Matters seminars: makingpoetrymatter 

Drafting and Assessing Poetry

`A must for trainee teachers and English departments’ – Booktrusted News

`Sue Dymoke’s book is a much needed antidote to the ubiquitous guides to poetry analysis…. This book is well worth reading for its clarity and wealth of ideas’ – Bethan Marshall, TES Teacher Magazine

`It is a useful book: a theoretical text, but with a practical focus, which makes it very readable and interesting, to teachers of young people particularly, but also, to teachers of adults and indeed in parts to poetry writers themselves, particularly those interested in working in schools, or simply curious about the general process of drafting and evaluating poetry’ – County Lit, Nottinghamshire County Council Literature Newsletter

`Drafting and Assessing Poetry is thoroughly researched and shows how attitudes towards teaching of poetry and indeed the place of poetry on the syllabus, has changed with political fashion over the years., But more importantly, Sue Dymoke shows how a handful of contemporary poets go about drafting their work and sees this process as an essential tool in the classroom, advocating that students should keep drafting notebooks, just like real writers.

Getting students, or indeed members of writing groups, to understand that one draft of a poem may not be the final or best work they can produce will never be a problem again!’ – Writing in Education

`This excellent book provides the reader with comprehensive coverage of all aspect of poetry teaching. The book does more than inform us – it inspires profound reflection on the best ways it support poetry writing and draws us into the debate about assessment-driven curriculum’ – School Librarian

Drafting and Assessing Poetry Contents