Joshua Seigal

{{short description|British children's poet}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Joshua Seigal

| birth_place = London, England

| website = {{URL|https://www.joshuaseigal.co.uk/}}

}}

{{Portal |Children's literature}}

Joshua Seigal is a British children's poet, author, performer, and educator.{{cite web|last=Seigal|first=Joshua|title=Children's Poet|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/joshua-seigal|publisher=Poetry Foundation|access-date=7 October 2024}} He has published many collections of poetry for children with publishers such as Bloomsbury and HarperCollins, and has performed and led workshops at schools and festivals around the world.{{cite news|title=Children's poet proves inspirational|url=https://eveshamobserver.co.uk/news/childrens-poet-proves-inspirational/|publisher=Evesham Observer | date=1 April 2019}} Seigal has won several awards, including the Laugh Out Loud Book Award{{cite news|title=Walliams, Seigal and Robinson win at the Lollies children's book awards|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/walliams-seigal-and-robinson-win-lollies-childrens-book-awards-1186471|publisher=The Bookseller | date=6 February 2020}}{{cite news|title=Adeola and Rutter among Lollies 2023 winners|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/adeola-and-rutter-among-lollies-2023-winners|publisher=The Bookseller | date=13 July 2023}} and the People's Book Prize.{{cite news|title=2021/2022 Winners|url=https://peoplesbookprize.com/2021-2022-winners/|publisher=The People's Book Prize | access-date=7 October 2024}} He has written and performed for BBC Television and has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on numerous occasions.{{cite news|title=Primary Poetry|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/zdsw8hv|publisher=BBC | access-date=20 October 2024}}{{cite news|title=Joshua Seigal presents The Legend Of Ooshus Magooshus (And Lots Of Other Poems) (Joshua Seigal / PBH's Free Fringe)|url=https://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-childrens-shows-review-joshua-seigal-presents-the-legend-of-ooshus-magooshus-and-lots-of-other-poems-joshua-seigal-pbhs-free-fringe/|publisher=Three Weeks Edinburgh | date=29 August 2013}}

Seigal's poem ‘I Don’t Like Poetry’ (first published in his book of the same name) is featured on the website of the Poetry Foundation and is widely anthologised.{{cite news|title=I Don't Like Poetry|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/1596010/i-dont-like-poetry|publisher=Poetry Foundation | access-date=7 October 2024}} He has an MA in Creative Writing and Education from Goldsmiths, University of London, where he studied under Michael Rosen.{{cite news|title=Joshua Seigal: So How Did You Get Into Poetry, Then?|url=https://childrenspoetrysummit.com/2020/11/26/joshua-seigal-so-how-did-you-get-into-poetry-then/|publisher=Children's Poetry Summit| access-date=10 October 2024}} Seigal also writes for adults, and his work has appeared in magazines such as Poetry Wales.{{cite news|title=Poetry Wales 59.2 Winter 2023|url=https://poetrywales.co.uk/product/poetry-wales-59-2-winter-2023/|publisher=Poetry Wales| access-date=2 November 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Here We All Are |url=https://joshuaseigalpoet.blogspot.com/2023/11/here-we-all-are.html?m=1 |access-date=26 April 2025 |publisher=Author blog}}

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.”{{cite web |title='This is a scary time': coronavirus emergency fund set up for authors |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/20/this-is-a-scary-time-coronavirus-emergency-fund-set-up-for-authors |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=1 December 2024}}