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Gita Ralleigh

WRITER & POET

THE VOYAGE OF SAM SINGH

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I have been very bad at logging everything I read this year – which is fine? And I haven't entered anything at all since November, and I have a seperate (physical) notebook for poetry reading. But here are some of the great reads I was moved to record on my (secret) @the.storygraph account. A lovely reminder that although 2025 was a 🗑🔥 there are so many GREAT writers out there making tremendous work. 🙏🏽❤️🙌🏽 2025 (despite the 💀terrible times) has been wonderful because of lovely family & friends. I haven’t had a book out and have enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the writing & children’s literature community including helping with @sailfest_uk & @ibbyuk_organisation events. I have also loved having the space to reconnect with a poetry practice I’d lost touch with over the last few years. When I look back over work events (10 school visits, 7 panels, 6 workshops, 2 podcasts, 2 readings) I see that though I haven’t done much compared to many other hard working poets and authors, half of my school visits and two thirds of my workshops focused on writing poetry with participants of all ages. I also placed 4 poems in magazines, had one poem in an anthology and have a pamphlet out next year with @thebraag November has never been a favourite month but this one was amazing! It was lovely to have kid 1 home for reading week, an incredible conference themed Whose History was organised by @ibbyuk_organisation @annlazim I attended a groundbreaking day on Futureproofing Equality in Children’s Publishing @manmetuni organised by @dylan.calder.520 We all have our beloved winter and Christmas books – for me, old faves include 'The Hogfather' (Terry Pratchett), 'The Dark is Rising' (Susan Cooper), and 'The Beautiful Christmas Tree' (Charlotte Zolotow). This year I'm delighted to survey my bookshelves and see so many new favourites! From 'The Shortest Day' celebrating the solstice to the marvellous 'Yours, Befana' celebrating the Italian Christmas tradition of the witch who brings presents, there are now books for every family and classroom! 🌲⛄🎅🏿 #christmasbooks #winterbooks #solsticebooks #diversekidlit #weneeddiversebooks I was honoured to be in conversation with the wonderful Candy Gourlay and Bali Rai at the @ibbyuk_organisation annual conference with the theme ‘Whose History’ Amazing talks from Farrah Sehrroukh, Darren Chetty, Karen Sands-O’ Connor as well as a brilliant introduction to the History of Information by Chris Haughton. I loved the panel chaired by Sandra Agard with Catherine Johnson and JT Williams and Michael Rosen rounded the day off with poetry and a call to action. Thanks also to @newhambookshop for manning the bookstall, Mandie from @open_ealing Haroun for the livestream and to the absolutely incredible IBBY team especially @annlazim @mansfield6720 & @dix674 October was all about sharing the POETRY love! Thanks so much for the invitation to write poems @barbicancentre with @sailfest_uk thank you to @thepoetrysociety for the chance to be a visiting poet for #nationalpoetryday2025 also to @featherstonehigh for inviting me to run workshops on Culture Day, to @hillingdon_libraries for arranging amazing FREE library workshops for children and to @joshlaceybooks and @thesocietyofauthors for the chance to talk about combining poetry with writing for children and to hang out with so many amazing authors! A million thank yous to family for all the support and our lovely Diwali celebrations. New LIFE goals include driving a @microlino_official and joining #grantifa !!! AND I actually managed to fit in some reading!! Writers - check out #springsummerasteroidbird by @henrylienauthor for craft tips, everyone should add #ink by amazing journalist @ink_changemakers to their Christmas lists and preorder #thegoldenmonkeymystery by @piudasgupta2023 !!! (Out Jan 26!) SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8th I'm completely thrilled to be chairing a panel with celebrated authors @rai_bali and @candygourlay at the @ibbyuk_organisation annual conference on the important topic of WHOSE HISTORY: Challenging historical narratives through writing for children and young people. I am also incredibly excited to hear from the other AMAZING speakers: @rapclassroom Karen Sands O' Connor, Farrah Serroukh @catherinerebeccajohnson @agardsandra @j.t.williamswrites @chrishaughton and THE @iammichaelrosen !! A must for children's writers, publishers, educators and advocates – streaming as well as in-person tickets are available! LINK IN BIO!! 'Tis the season! Yes, it's Diwali in less than a week, but autumn brings many other celebrations, from Navratri to Bandi Chor Diwas, to Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos & not forgetting the Mid-Autumn Festival. I've read poems on everything from mithai to mooncakes for a workshop I'm running over half-term for my local library service (LINK TO BOOK IN BIO!) & thinking about the many gorgeous picture books about festivals. We are a multi-faith household, so my kids celebrated Easter and Holi, Christmas and Diwali – but Halloween was always their favourite!! 🤣( dressing-up plus access to candy...). Here are a few personal picks – I'd love to hear your suggestions, especially of festive fiction/non-fiction for older children or teens? #halloweenkidlit #diadelosmuertoskidlit #diwalikidlit #midautumnfestivalkidlit 🌕🍬🥮👻🕯 It was #NationalPoetryDay on October 2nd and I was so happy to spend the day in a school reading to nursery, writing kennings with reception and play-themed acrostics with older year groups- Roblox poems were very popular! Also lovely to run a drop-in cut up poetry workshop inspired by Kit Wright’s ‘The Magic Box’ at the Barbican with the wonderful @sailfest_uk crew, a great (and FREE) new initiative to bring poetry into London primary schools from @thepoetrysociety with @anewdirection_ldn AND delighted to share news of a new pamphlet from me! ‘empirical’ will be published by the excellent @thebraag in February 2026 and I am SO thrilled & excited to work with them.

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