Michelle Taylor
Michelle tells young people that poetry is like "making magic with words" and her sessions typically involve audience participation, enacting of poems and a lot of interaction.
She is passionate about poetry and its potential to bring some magic into our lives. She believes that poetry can allow both young and old to express themselves more fully, and to appreciate themselves and the world around them with new wonder. "I want those I work with to go away feeling two things - firstly energised, and secondly, empowered by words and their endless possibilities in our lives".
Michelle's books include:
- 100 Ways to Fly (Children's Poetry) UQP, 2019. To see fun resources and teachers notes click here: 100 Ways to Fly - Resources
- If The World Belonged To Dogs (Children's poetry) UQP, 2007
- If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles (Children's poetry) UQP, 2003
- Renovating (Poetry) Picaro Press, 2002
- The Angel Of Barbican High (YA Verse novel) UQP, 2001
- Bloom (Poetry), Vagabond Press, 2001
- Word For Word (An inspirational workbook for writers and teachers of writing), Queensland Writers Centre, 2000
- First Language (Poetry), Five Islands Press, 1999
Awards Received Include:
- If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles voted one of the Top Titles for 2003 by The Australian Centre for Youth Literature
- Australian Family Therapists Award for The Angel Of Barbican High as a book useful for therapists
- Harri Jones Memorial Prize (for an Australian poet 35 years or under whose work in the field of poetry is judged to be outstanding)
Michelle was born in Brisbane in 1968, and grew up in Darwin and Brisbane. She has lived in Suffolk, Glasgow, London and the island of Madeira in Portugal. She has been writing and publishing for over twenty years. Michelle particularly enjoys taking poetry to young audiences and is a popular choice as a performer and workshop leader in schools and at literary festivals. Michelle has a degree in occupational therapy with many years experience working with those with mental and emotional health problems. She also has a Master of Arts in which she researched the role of monsters in stories to empower children and manage fears.
Reading is my Super Power!!!!
NEW COVID CONTENT!
Check out Michelle's 'Classroom During Covid-19' poem below and her free Activity Blogs in the links section of this page.
Michelle specialises in several areas including:
- Performance poetry, for preschool through to primary
- Poetry workshops for primary, high school and adults
- Workshops using creative writing to promote self awareness and self-confidence
Performing Under Pressure
Do you ever worry? Maybe over big things? Or little things? Or sometimes you're not sure why you worry.
It could be speaking in a group, doing an exam or performing on the stage or field. Or maybe doing everyday things. Lots of anxiety is normal. We learn about this and the ways our bodies and minds can help us in a new presentation called PERFORMING UNDER PRESSURE.
Combining the power of words and poems, along with the science of sensory approaches, and with the help of my dog Bam Bam, we’re going to have a lot of fun!
Michelle has worked for a long time using creative writing to support people with their wellbeing and confidence, combining her two areas of expertise - poetry and occupational therapy. Michelle's interest in this area led her to complete her Master of Arts Research on the topic of empowering young people through scary stories featuring monsters. Whether a workshop or presentation, her primary goal is to build confidence and help people feel that creative writing is theirs to utilise and make their lives better and fuller - not just students, but teachers and anyone looking for support or creative outlets.
Michelle wanted to intentionally create a presentation to help young people feel more in charge of themselves and difficult emotions, to understand the science around confidence and anxiety and strategies that help - but with a difference - to do this using poems from her book 100 Ways To Fly.
Why use poetry? Michelle explains that poetry is the genre of play and reimagining. It honours all the parts of us, vulnerability and power, and especially the truth. It allows us a voice when perhaps we or others haven't heard that voice before. And it can make complex things like understanding ourselves and science easier to understand and remember. And who knows, you might just fall in love with poetry and yourself all over again!
100 Ways to Fly
Ready for take-off? Come along and make your own mobile. Choose some poems, create some of your own then transfer these on to stencilled outlines. Decorate them, cut them out then hang them to make your mobile.
Duration: 1 hour
Ideal for: children aged 8-12 years
Emoji Activity
We use poems from my book 100 Ways to Fly to kick start us. Poems like Limerick for a Lousy Day, I Wish For You, and 10 Syllables For All Sorts of Things provide a framework for writing our own poems about hope, our favourite and least favourite feelings, and things we care about. Of course we match these to emojis and even draw some of our own!
Suitable for ages 7 and upward.
For younger ages we can omit some of the writing component and have more time for performance, discussion and drawing, and finding our favourite words!
Testimonials
We welcomed Michelle back to our school after the popular response from our Upper primary students and staff. This year she visited with our Lower primary students and staff who loved her enthusiasm for poetry and gave them wonderful tips on title ideas, where ideas can come from and the importance of favourite words. "Best author visit to date"
Brisbane Montessori School - September 2022Year 5 students and teachers gained so much from Michelle’s presentation. The teachers took many notes to enhance their poetry unit for next year.
Islamic College of Brisbane - September 2020Michelle Taylor was delightful and well-received by students and teachers who loved her presentation.
Kelvin Grove State College - September 2020I just wanted to say a big thank you for your wonderful poetry writing workshop last week. It was exactly what we were hoping for and more. Your delivery of information and ideas around poetry really helped the children understand the importance of authorship, creative writing and in particular the possible structure of poems. The students also gained a lot of insight in to how they themselves could become little poets/writers. By giving them the opportunity to put pen to paper, the workshop was so successful, and the feedback from both the teachers and students has been extremely positive.
Our literacy focus and writing journey for the year now has so much more significant material to build on and we feel the students will benefit greatly from your expertise as an experienced poet.
Best of luck with your future writing endeavours, please feel free to send through any additional information about any of your upcoming works. And the students are so looking forward to your new poetry collections book.
Graceville State School - March 2019Staff & students were very happy with Michelle’s presentation. She was also very generous with sharing her ideas and presentation resources. The workshop was very well conducted as she did pitch her presentation to suit the audience.
Michelle Taylor - Grace Lutheran Primary School, August, 2013.
100 Ways to Fly
If The World Belonged To Dogs
If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles
The Angel of Barbican High
Queensland
Speaker type
- Poet
- Storyteller / Performer
- Educational consultant
- Motivational