Today at a live online event the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) announced the shortlist for the 2025 CLiPPA (CLPE Poetry Award), the UK’s leading award for published poetry for children.
Now in its third decade, the CLiPPA highlights the year's best new poetry for children. Past winners include Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, Michael Rosen and Valerie Bloom as well as current Waterstone's Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho.
Matt Goodfellow won the 2024 CLiPPA with his highly regarded verse novel, The Final Year, and is on this year’s judging panel.
The much-anticipated sequel to The Final Year is now out, and we are very excited to welcome Matt Goodfellow to an online event on 13 May, where he will share best practice around reading during the transition from Year 6 to Year 7, and discuss the themes of moving to secondary school, family, and belonging in The First Year. Find out more and book your place.
This year’s CLiPPA shortlist is typically rich and varied and includes colossal words; effervescent rhymes for the very young; poetry adventures; funny, touching poems about our pets; and a boundary-pushing poetry dialogue.
Chair of the judges, poet Roger McGough says, “I and my fellow judges had so many wonderful books to choose from and this year’s shortlist features beautifully illustrated books to fascinate and inspire young readers and listeners; an important new voice; as well as old friends with new books. These five collections each have their own magic. We are delighted now to hand these vibrant verses over to children and watch them make them their own through the CLiPPA Shadowing scheme.”
The CLiPPA shortlist 2025:
Big Red Dragon by Jane Newberry, illustrated by Carolina Rabei, Otter-Barry Books (3+)
Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller, illustrated by Tor Freeman, Frances Lincoln (7+)
Wise Up! Wise Down by John Agard and JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, Walker Books (9+)
Let Sleeping Cats Lie, Brian Bilston, Macmillan (9+)
We Are Family by Oliver Skyes, illustrated by Ian Morris, Otter-Barry Books (9+)
The CLiPPA encourages schools to explore the shortlist with their pupils through its unique Shadowing Scheme, which each year prompts poetry performances in hundreds of classrooms.
Rebecca Eaves, Chief Executive, CLPE said “'Poetry is part of every child's life from their earliest days - whether they realise it or not - and it is a gateway to literacy for so many young readers and writers. Our judges have selected another magical shortlist for them. We know these collections will inspire wonderful Shadowing performances, and no doubt some superb writing too. We can’t wait to celebrate the shortlisted poets and the many children and teachers who love their work at this year’s CLiPPA Award ceremony at the National Theatre in June.”
The Shadowing Scheme is free for schools and launched today. Schools can register their interest to take part now.
The winner will be announced at the CLiPPA Poetry Show, live onstage at the National Theatre on London’s Southbank, Friday 20 June and receives £1,000. The event will feature live poet readings from each shortlisted collection and the winning Shadowing performances too. Long-time CLiPPA supporter, former Children’s Laureate and SLA Patron, Chris Riddell will live draw the event.