On Thursday 24th March, as part of the D.E.A.R (Drop Everything and Read) Primary and Secondary students from Rashid School were lucky enough to enjoy the talents of visiting poet Nick Toczek. A performance poet in every sense, Nick treated the students to his own special brand of animated readings, amazing tricks and ever-so-slightly anarchic behaviour.

Clearly a good judge of his audience, he very quickly got the students on-side by cracking a few jokes at their teachers’ expense – when telling students off, apparently they all look like meerkats and sound like steam engines or deflating balloons! SSSSHHHH! Whilst jumping around the room (and sometimes into the audience) like a prowling punk singer, he proceeded to perform a number of his excellent, heavily rhymed poems on subjects as varied as homework excuses, waiting (something he’s mostly hating) and a surprisingly touching account of a guilt-ridden dragon hunter. Amongst other things, Nick gave the students advice on how to read confidently, how to be a rap poet and how to write funny stories, which included a hilariously fantastical account of how he made friends with a massive wild owl called Brownie, who landed on his shoulder one night and tried to eat his hair. Amidst all the energetic poetry pogoing, Nick baffled his audience with a number of amazing tricks involving coins, cards and CDs, which appeared to disappear, re-appear and change state in the blink of an eye.

All in all, a thoroughly good time was had by everyone who was lucky enough to experience Nick’s performance: we left the school that day with a renewed enthusiasm for the magic of poetry. Thanks Mr Nick Toczek!