We're going on a bear hunt...

Yesterday a few Coney writers were allowed out for the day. Instead of meeting up in our usual location we ventured into the big smoke, rendezvousing in the Ulster Museum for a very sociable lunch and some giggles before going to listen to former children's laureate Michael Rosen speak.

He entertained us (a packed audience ranging from toddlers to pensioners) for over an hour with stories from his childhood, taught us a couple of poems in a very short time and demonstrated throughout the session the key elements of good storytelling. He held everyone's attention (including the youngest members) throughout the session. 

Without mentioning the phrase, he demonstrated the importance of 'showing' and 'not telling'. His poems speak for themselves in terms of what works - rhythm, repetition and simplicity. We were all feeling the rhythm of the train in the room as he taught us 'Hand on the Bridge'. His presence and big personality was evident as he spoke. I was delighted to meet him after the talk and have a quick chat.