A Selection of Laura's Books
Videos:
Laura Mucha
Type of Artist:
Poet, author (fiction and non-fiction), performer and speaker
Talks, presentations with powerpoint, interactive, energetic performances.
Class workshops.
Performances aimed at whole family.
Creative writing / performance workshops for EYFS to young adult writer’s groups. I particularly enjoy co-writing poems with young people.
Details
Preferred age range:Any age, depending on the type of session.
Maximum number in any one session:
Up to 150 in a workshop. As many as you like for a talk / performance.
No of sessions per day:
3-4 depending on length.
Session Length:
Approx 4 x 45 minute sessions during a day’s visit (these can be combined to do longer sessions – e.g. 1.5 hours or longer). For EYFS happy to do shorter sessions if required.
Areas prepared to travel to:
National and international if expenses are met.
Transport:
London – bike. Outside London – train and taxi (or in exceptional circumstances, car).
Fees:
DBS/CRB:
Yes (DBS).
Hold PLI (public liability insurance):
No.
Website:
Twitter:
@lauramucha
Titles include:
Poetry:
Being Me: Poems About Thoughts, Worries and Feelings 6+ (Shortlisted for the CLiPPA Poetry Award run by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education)
Dear Ugly Sisters 5+ (Winner of the NSTBA Prize for Poetry, one of the Independent's best poetry books for children )
Picture Books:
Rita’s Rabbit 3+
Porridge Please 3+ (Walker, out in 2024)
Non-fiction:
Welcome to Our Table: A Celebration of What Children Eat Everywhere 3+ (Shortlisted for a Junior Design Award)
Celebrate! Discover 50 Fantastic Festivals from Around the World 5+ (co-written with the British Museum)
Love Factually / We Need to Talk About Love 15+
Please Find Attached: How Attachment Theory Explains our Relationships 15+
Testimonials:
“Laura’s rich professional and academic background means she has a very unique and exciting take on the teaching of poetry. Laura’s workshops will make drafting electrifying and turn editing into a sensational process. As a collaborator, she will help you refine your vision and interpret every brief in the most stimulating way possible. Laura is one of the most passionate, effective and engaging facilitators we had the pleasure to work with on the Young Writers programme.”
Dr Francesca Bonafede, Young Writers Programme Manager, National Literacy Trust
"For our Book Week theme ‘Potpourri of Poetry’ Laura took a captivating session on poetry with students of Years 4 to 6. She made the online session interactive, fun, and engaging for all. Students were inspired by how she read her own poems and included their ideas to build additional stanzas. Students were thrilled to see how she planned, brainstormed ideas, words and took them on a writing journey, while keeping their enthusiasm high. It was an inspirational session that has ignited our budding poets!"
The British School, New Delhi, India.
"We invited Laura along to our school this year for our World Book Day event and she is one of the best visitors we have ever had in! We loved the resources Laura sent to us beforehand so we could prepare the children and get them excited for the workshops. Each workshop, from EYFS through to Year 6, was so engaging and Laura’s level of energy and passion for poetry surpassed our expectations. Each session was pitched perfectly and all children got so much out of the sessions and this was because of the relationship Laura managed to build with them in a short space of time. The poems that the children created with Laura are still being talked about and being able to illustrate them afterwards gave the children ownership over what they had created as a group. We would, without hesitation, work with Laura again and whole heartedly recommend her."
Gemma Ellis, English Martyrs’ Catholic Voluntary Academy.
"Laura worked with pupils across Years 3 to 6. She was fun, engaging and thought-provoking, always taking care to include every student. Without a doubt, this was one of the best author events that I’ve experienced – the pupils still talk about it two years on!"
Veronica Newton, Junior School Teacher, Bristol Grammar School
“The things we enjoyed most about the workshop include the unique poetry exercises, listening to Laura’s fantastic poetry, her humour and original way she used to teach poetry. Firstly, we listened to her poems and she told us about herself, which all of us really enjoyed since she was such a nice and funny person. We mind mapped different rhyming words which was funny because Laura said that they didn’t have to be real words! After, we wrote our own engaging poems in groups and performed them which was great, as we got to hear other groups’ ideas.”
Year 5 pupils, Moulsham Junior School
"Laura’s workshop was engaging, entertaining and enlightening. My diverse group of students, tasked with writing a 10,000 word dissertation, ranged in age from 15-18, with nationalities from all over the world; however, Laura was able to relate easily to each of them through her wit and wisdom. She offered clear,
concise strategies to help them identify their passions, define their purpose and design a research approach that suited their needs and environment. She also raised thought-provoking questions and concerns regarding ethics in the research process. Her charisma and comedy won them over from the second she
walked in the room, but, her insight, experience and practical advice resonated with them throughout the rest of the year."
Lisa Woodcock, QSI International School of Chengdu, China
"Laura was a fantastic part of our Valentine’s Day event here at the Royal Institution. The combination of her extensive subject knowledge and presentation style led to our audience learning and laughing more than they had anticipated."
Lisa Derry, the Royal Institution