Tips from the master of making children snort with laughter!
Join us for this tour de force of writing funny for children with poet and author A.F. Harrold. Festivalgoers should join this masterclass with a readiness to scribble along, while there will be lots of takeaway tips on how poetry can be used to enrich all forms of writing and illustrations, whether that be in verse or prose.
The Writing Poetry session continues to be a popular part of our festival line-up, and attendees can expect a playful, practical and inspiring 90 minutes that's designed to get creative brains in gear, and to encourage new ways in which to approach your writing. As such, this masterclass is open to allcomers, so whether you're brand new to poetry or someone with a collection that's ready to go, we hope you can join us! Time will also be provided at the end of the session to allow for any questions you might have.
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This masterclass forms part of our Children's Writers & Illustrators Festival 2026. A range of ticket-types are available to purchase, and to view our 2026 festival line-up in full, please visit our Weekend Pass page.
A.F. Harrold is an English poet and children's author. Some of the things he makes (books, poems, faces) are funny, some are strange, some are sad, and many of them involve the privilege of working with amazing illustrators. He often visits schools, reading poems and running workshops and juggling ideas.
He is the owner of many books, a handful of hats, a few good ideas and one beard. He lives in Reading with a stand-up comedian and two cats. His latest title with Bloomsbury Education is Pocket Book of Pocket Poems, a laugh-out-loud collection of over 200 short poems.
And there's more!
Reserving a place at this masterclass means you're also invited to 'The Power of the Pitch', a live panel discussion between a literary agent, editor and a bookseller. This begins at 2pm on Sunday 22nd March, 2026.
Ahead of this session, you will be invited to submit your own book pitch. A select number of pitches will then be chosen by our panel, and critiqued during the session itself! Look out for an email from W&A in days leading up to the festival, which will contain all the information you need about how to submit your pitch.
Festival raffle
Every festival attendee is automatically entered into our festival raffle. Weekend Pass+ ticketholders receive three entries, Weekend Pass ticketholders receive two entries, and Masterclass+, Festival Player and Single Masterclass ticketholders receive a single entry. The raffle will be drawn at the end of the festival, with the following prizes up for grabs:
3rd prize: Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2026 and Bloomsbury Children's book bundle
2nd prize: complimentary place at any W&A evening masterclass (RRP £30) + Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2026 and Bloomsbury Children's book bundle
1st prize: gratis editorial critique of up the opening of your manuscript (up to 10,000 words)
Ticketing information
Weekend Pass+ £135: Access to all festival content (3 live masterclasses, 4 pre-recorded videos + follow-up discussion, and 1 panel discussion between a literary agent, editor and bookseller) plus a bespoke editorial report on the opening of a story (plus full synopsis) by Middle Grade author Clare Povey. Limited to 25 tickets. x3 raffle entries
Weekend Pass £95: Access to all festival content (3 live masterclasses, 4 pre-recorded videos + follow-up discussion, and 1 panel discussion between a literary agent, editor and bookseller). x2 raffle entries
Masterclass+ £75: Access to a single masterclass session of your choice (with Dean Atta, Nikita Gill or A.F. Harrold), 4 pre-recorded videos + follow-up discussion, and 1 panel discussion between a literary agent, editor and bookseller). x1 raffle entry.
Festival Player £50: Access to all exclusive pre-recorded video content only (plus follow-up discussion) and 1 panel discussion between a literary agent, editor and bookseller). x1 raffle entry.
Single Masterclass £40: Access to a single real-time masterclass session of your choice (with Dean Atta, Nikita Gill or A.F. Harrold) and 1 panel discussion between a literary agent, editor and bookseller). x1 raffle entry.
Testimonials
"Treated me like a professional, motivated artist"
"Inspiring, informative, inclusive & confidence building."
"Excellent speakers, a well thought out and balanced programme, very inspiring and enjoyable."
"Made a few little idea's into a realistic possibility of being published one day; something between a big hug & a kick up the proverbial bum."
"Practical tips, inspiring and well organised."
"Something for everyone currently writing for children."
"Inspirational. I felt like I had been immersed in a world of children’s literature and heard the perspectives of many from the industry."
"Such a great sense of community and lots of really interesting workshops and talks"
"Inspiring, uplifting and made me want get back to my desk and write :-)"
"Really feels like it has been totally designed with writers in mind."
"Absolutely FANTASTIC! [...] I'm new to the world of writing - and I wasn't expecting much as a result - but I have to say that it completely knocked my socks off in every way."
"Every live session left me with loads of notes in my notebook and really inspired."
"A lovely way to enter this world and get some helpful, encouraging advice."
A booking for this masterclass enables access to a real-time masterclass session with A.F. Harrold and a panel discussion between a literary agent, editor and bookseller. You will also receive an single raffle entry.
This festival will take place online in full, and will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions, links, and full guidance will be circulated for the above in the week leading up to the festival.
Any event materials associated to individual masterclasses will be made available to attendees at the author's discretion, and all recordings will be made available for a time-limited period.
The single masterclass booking is priced at £40 (incl. VAT), and payable in full online.
Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on [email protected] so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
To view our event refund and cancellation policy, please click here.
Accessible to All
It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- Writers & Artists has made one Weekend Pass+ available as part of our accessibility scheme. Please visit our bursaries page for further information about how to apply. All bursary applications must have been submitted for consideration by 1st March 2026
- At the author’s discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after their real-time masterclass.
- A link to a recording of live masterclasses will be circulated after the event. This will be made available to event attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
- Each event will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email [email protected]
