Effervescent, scintillating, riveting! Collection of ‘colossal’ word poems wins the CLiPPA

The winner of the UK’s only national award for published poetry for children, the CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) was announced this afternoon at a typically boissterous ceremony at the National Theatre on London’s Southbank, attended by hundreds of children.

This year’s CLiPPA is awarded to Colette Hiller for her collection Colossal Words for Kids (illustrated by Tor Freeman, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books). In Colossal Words for Kids, Hiller defines in rhyme 75 ‘colossal’ words that children can use in their everyday lives, from capacious to voracious, procrastinate to zest.

Poet Roger McGough, chair of this year’s judges, says, ‘Colossal Words for Kids is indisputably original and ambitious, with rhymes that demand to be spoken aloud. It’s also proof that learning big words needn’t be even faintly… soporific!”

A former actor and arts producer, Hiller believes that children are natural wordsmiths, who love knowing and using big words. Of her winning collection she says, ‘My real aim is to spark a lasting joy of language. When we teach young children ambitious words, we show them that the English language is theirs for the taking.’

On hearing that she had won, she declared herself ‘discombobulated’, another word defined in her winning collection.

As well as spotlighting the best new poetry for children, the CLiPPA encourages schools to explore the shortlist with their pupils through its Shadowing Scheme and over 400 schools took part this year. Seven-year-olds Arlena, Sienna-Mai, Matei and Willow from Wells Primary School, Woodford Green, Essex joined Colette on the stage of the Lyttelton Theatre to perform her poem ‘Hyperbole’.

An audience of 800 watched the event live in the Lyttelton Theatre, while hundreds of schools across the country joined in watching the CLiPPA livestream.

Darren Matthews, Primary Advisory Teacher at CLPE said, ‘Congratulations to Colette Hiller, whose effervescent, scintillating and riveting verse has prompted poetry performances by thousands of children in hundreds of classrooms across the UK via our Shadowing scheme, while introducing them to the delights of onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole and many other colossal words. Like Colette, at CLPE we believe that poetry is fundamental to children’s love of language and are delighted to celebrate her book and all our shortlist today in such gregarious, jovial style!’

Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, now CLPE’s parent organisation, opened the event and said, ‘Children love poetry – reading, writing and performing it, as today’s CLiPPA ceremony demonstrates. We’re delighted to celebrate another outstanding shortlist and winner and to do so at the National Theatre and in the company of so many excited, enthusiastic young poetry fans. There’s no award quite like the CLiPPA!’

Colette Hiller receives a trophy and a cheque for £1000.

Colossal Words for Kids was one of five books on a shortlist that reflects the vitality of the UK’s poetry publishing for children. Also shortlisted were a playful joint collection from John Agard and JonArno Lawson, pet poems by Brian Bilston, rhymes for the very young by previously shortlisted Jane Newberry, and a debut collection by Oliver Sykes describing his own childhood experiences.

The CLiPPA Poetry Show at the Lyttelton Theatre featured performances from Colette Hiller as well as John Agard, Brian Bilston, Jane Newberry and Oliver Sykes and, via video link from his home in Toronto, JonArno Lawson. Former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell illustrated proceedings live.

The full shortlist is:

Wise Up! Wise Down! by John Agard and JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, Walker Books
Let Sleeping Cats Lie, Brian Bilston, Macmillan
Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller, illustrated by Tor Freeman, Frances Lincoln
Big Red Dragon by Jane Newberry, illustrated by Carolina Rabei, Otter-Barry Books
We Are Family by Oliver Sykes, illustrated by Ian Morris, Otter-Barry Books

Alongside Roger McGough, this year’s judges were Lucy Bannerman, children’s books editor The Times; teacher Saira Bano; and playwright and Marketing Manager at writing and educational charity First Story, Annette Brook; and 2024 CLiPPA winner Matt Goodfellow.