Joshua Seigal


Joshua Seigal is an English children's poet, author, stand-up comedian, and educator.

Early life and education

Joshua Seigal grew up in London, during which time he regularly performed at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing and Education from Goldsmiths, University of London, where he studied under Michael Rosen. Prior to becoming a full-time writer and performer, Seigal spent time as a teaching assistant.

Career

Seigal has published many collections of poetry for children, with publishers including Bloomsbury and HarperCollins, and has performed and led workshops at schools and festivals around the world. Seigal has won several awards, including the Laugh Out Loud Book Award and the People's Book Prize.
He has written and performed for BBC Television and has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on numerous occasions.
Seigal's poem "I Don’t Like Poetry" is featured on the website of the Poetry Foundation and is widely anthologised.
He is also a stand-up comedian, and writes and performs poetry for adults, his work having been published in magazines such as Poetry Wales.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Seigal gave away many of his books online, stating: “This is an incredibly difficult, scary time. However, my job is based on sharing joy, and I am determined that I will keep doing this, in whatever form it takes.”

Awards

  • UKLA Book Award – longlist
  • Reading Rocks Book Award – winner
  • Laugh Out Loud Book Award – winner
  • Caterpillar Poetry Prize – runner-up
  • The People's Book Prize – winner
  • Laugh Out Loud Book Award – winner
  • Laugh Out Loud Book Award – shortlist