Harry Laing is a poet, children’s author and comic performer. He has presented his creative writing workshops in schools for over 20 years. Harry has three collections of poetry for children (aged 6-12 yrs): RapperBee (2021, Ford Street) with B&W illustrations by Anne Ryan, MoonFish (2019, Ford Street) featuring art by some of Australia’s best known illustrators including Shaun Tan, Leigh Hobbs and Anne Ryan and Shoctopus (2015, Bunda Press). Harry has presented at children’s literature festivals including Whitsunday Voices (Mackay) and the Newington Litfest(Sydney) and he is in demand as a presenter of writing workshops and as a poetry performer in schools where he regularly performs his poems for hundreds of children.
Harry brings energy and a huge sense of fun to his school workshops and his performances (including the raps!) will inspire students with their own writing. Harry’s poems bring everyday things alive, they evoke the natural world, they’re wonderfully informative, weird, wacky and above all fun and will engage students whatever their skill and interest level. Teachers too will take lots of new ideas from his workshops. Harry is happy to present workshops for primary and secondary students (Yrs 1-12).
He’s also available to lead PL sessions and is skilled at convincing teachers about the huge possibilities of creative writing/ poetry and how they can encourage their students to be inventive and adventurous with their own writing.
