Paul Lyalls

Paul has worked and performed with Michael Rosen, Arsenal FC, Benjamin Zephaniah, Kae Tempest, George Best, Miranda Hart, Will Self, John Hegley, Andrea Levy, and Rastamouse to name but a few. His poetry is funny and moving and his poetry workshops produce extraordinary poems from children of all ages. His latest adult collection Catching the Cascade is published by Flipped Eye and was shortlisted for the People’s Book Prize. His latest children’s collection A Funny Thing Happened was published by Caboodle Books in 2020. He has two poems in Michael Rosen’s A-Z: The best children’s poetry.

In 2008, Paul was Poet for the London borough of Brent (London’s 5th coolest borough) and performed at the new Wembley Stadium. Poet in residence for the Roald Dhal Museum 2013/2014 and star of BBC 2/CBBC’s The Big Slam poetry house. Paul has also performed at ten Edinburgh festivals, Eton College, five Glastonbury’s, several shopping centres, the back of a lorry, Arsenal FC’s pitch and on a 73 Bus, which made the ‘And finally…’ bit of the 6pm national news. 

Paul was one of the London 2012 Olympic ‘Shake the Dust Poets’ and 2012 ‘Smile London Poets’. In 2013, Paul became Poet for the London Borough of Islington’s Word Festival. He was poet for Save The Children’s 2014 reading campaign ‘Read On Get On’ as well as a 100th anniversary Great War Poet working with the Berkshire 7th Rifles and the Museum of Reading. He spent 2015 as poet in residence for the Museum of Oxford and wrote an official poem for Oxford We didn’t start the shire.

2022 sees Paul creating giant poetry displays with St Pancras Station (all aboard!).