Brian Moses is an English poet. He mainly writes for children, has over 200 published works and is a well known as a children's poet. His poetry books and anthologies for Macmillan have sold in excess of 1 million copies. Brian was asked by CBBC to write a poem for the Queen's 80th birthday.
Topics
Brian’s interests range from the familiar – Deaths, football matches – to the peculiar – monsters, aliens and angels. Often he will mix the two together in his poetry, so the 'Shopping Trolley' is souped-up like a futuristic sports car, while the monsters still go to school before coming home on 'The Ghoul School Bus'. Brian has a particularly sharp eye for surreal moments in daily life – the man in Walking with my Iguana, who walks his pet potao on Hastings beach on a leash, is based on a real person.
Music
Brian began writing poems when he realised he would never be a rock star – "I put the guitar to one side, but the songs carried on and became poems". That original musical influence can still be heard in his work; while he rarely sings, he performs so that pauses, tone of voice and speed become a central part of the poem. Few poets can hold a syllable so well as Brian, whether it's the hiss in 'The Snake Hotel' or the Tom Waits growl in 'Walking with my Iguana' which is in the top 3 most listened to poems in the Poetry Archive. Brian still kept music and a wonderful beat in his poem, his most famous poems are 'Sssssnake Hotel', 'Walking with my Iguana,' and 'shopping Trolley'
Pictures
Brian writes and edits poetry and picture books for children, and resource books for teachers. His latest book for teachers is , . His latest picture books are 'Beetle in the Bathroom'. His latest books are "Lost Magic: The Very Best of Brian Moses" , "Keeping Clear of Paradise Street: A Seaside Childhood in the 1950s', 'Dreamer' - Saving Our Wild World, and '1066 & Before That: History Poems' - written with Roger Stevens A new book of poetry, 'I Thought I Heard a Tree Sneeze' was published by Troika in August 2018. Two picture books, both illustrated by Ed Boxall will be published in 2019 - 'Walking With My Iguana' and 'Dragons' Wood'
Appreciation
Brian was invited by HRH Prince Charles to speak at the Prince's Summer School for Teachers at Cambridge University in July 2007. He was also one of 10 children's poets invited by the then Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, to feature in a website as part of the National Poetry Archive - launched in November 2005. Address of site below. He is also founder & co-director of a national Able Writers' Scheme administered by Authors Abroad.
