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Children’s Laureate Wales

The Children’s Laureate Wales is a national ambassadorial role which aims to inspire and empower children and young people across Wales through literature. 

 

Founded in 2019, the role is awarded every two years to a talented and visionary Wales-based writer who is passionate about ensuring more children and young people discover the joy and well-being benefits of engaging with literature.  

The Children’s Laureate Wales is committed to: 

  • Expanding children and young people’s access to literature, in particular children and young people from marginalised and under-represented backgrounds 
  • Improving children and young people’s physical and mental health and well-being through literature 
  • Increasing children and young people’s enjoyment of literature 
  • Empowering children and young people through creativity

The current Children’s Laureate Wales is poet Alex Wharton, the third to be appointed to the role.   

Alex appointment was announced on 2 June, 2023, during an event at Hay Festival alongside his predecessor, Children’s Laureate Wales 2021- 2023, Connor Allen. Alex will be in the role until August 2025, working hard to share the power of poetry: making it accessible, fun, and relevant to children and young people across Wales.  

The Children’s Laureate Wales keeps busy by: 

  • Running poetry workshops inside and outside of the classroom 
  • Penning official poems to mark special occasions and campaigns which are of interest to children and young people 
  • Creating online creative resources for children and young people to enjoy  
  • Championing the voices of Wales’ children and young people nationally and internationally

For enquiries, including project or collaboration proposals, please email childrenslaureate@literaturewales.org or phone 029 2047 2266.

To keep on top of all of our Children’s Laureate Wales news, head over to Twitter and follow us at @Laureate_Wales.