Pupils are the write stuff

THESE youngsters may all still be at primary school - but they're already published poets.

THESE youngsters may all still be at primary school - but they're already published poets.

Inspired by one of their teachers, the pupils have put their own experiences of life into verse.

And now their poetry has been made into a book which goes on sale this week.

Every pupil at Craigton Primary School, in Craigton, on Glasgow's South Side, as well as some children from its nursery class, contributed to the book Poetry Catchers.

It will be launched on National Poetry Day on Thursday and goes on sale in Borders' Buchanan Street branch and Waterstones at Braehead shopping centre on Saturday.

The book was inspired by teacher Sandra McCay, who set up a poetry lending library at Craigton two years ago.

Having persuaded youngsters to read poetry, she then set out to encourage them to write their own.

The project started with a P6 class but quickly spread throughout the school.

Ms McCay said: "Every poem in this book is completely authentic and the words are 100% the children's own. My role was simply that of facilitator.

"The children had total autonomy about which of their poems to choose for the book and every child in the school contributed to it.

"The philosophy behind the title is that poems exist all around us. We just have to catch them by telling anecdotes about our lives, by delving into our imaginations and by opening our senses to the world around us.

"I have been thrilled by how the children have taken to poetry. The last few months have been an amazing adventure for us all and we are so excited about finally being able to see our book on the shelves."

Craigton headteacher Ann Robertson added: "I am very proud of our pupils' remarkable achievement and I am sure Poetry Catchers is something our pupils and their families will treasure forever."

Mirabelle Maslin from Augur Press approached the school after hearing about the children's love of poetry.