
New anthology of kings and queens poems coming soon from the Emma Press
Award-winning publisher the Emma Press is publishing The Head That Wears a Crown: Poems About Kings and Queens, an anthology of eye-opening, entertaining and educational poems for children aged 8+ about the lives and histories of many kings and queens who ruled in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
The Head That Wears a Crown contains 63 memorable, lively, surprising poems — you’ll never get Richard II confused with Richard III again!
Each poem is crammed full of strange, wonderful and gruesome facts, ideal for a children with an interest in the Horrible Histories books or TV series — or anyone who’s ever visited a castle and wondered what the life of a medieval king was really like.
Alongside each poem, the anthology features illustrations, dates for each reign, and historical notes about each king and queen — this book is perfect for children with an interest in learning which monarchs were murdered, who died in battle, and who was injured when his horse stumbled over a molehill.
The book also contains an extensive selection of backmatter , including writing exercises for children to get writing their own poetry inspired by their favourite regal figures in history.
The anthology is edited by Rachel Piercey and Emma Dai’an Wright, who previously edited children’s anthologies Falling Out of the Sky: Poems about Myths and Monsters and Watcher of the Skies: Poems about Space and Aliens for the press.
The work of 25 different poets is featured in The Head That Wears a Crown, including writers from throughout the UK and Ireland, and some hailing from as far away as Utah, USA and New South Wales, Australia.
There will be a joint launch party for The Head That Wears a Crown and Second Place Rosette: Poems About Britain at Wayland’s Yard in Birmingham at 7pm on Saturday 8th December 2018. The evening will feature poetry readings, drinks and canapés, and more information can be found here. A London launch party is in the works for February 2019.
Rachel Piercey is a poet and editor for adults and children. She regularly performs her poems and runs writing workshops at schools and festivals across the country. Rachel’s poems have appeared in The Rialto, Magma, Poems in Which, Butcher’s Dog and The Poetry Review, as well as various Emma Press pamphlets and anthologies, and in 2008 she won the Newdigate Prize. She lives in London.
Emma Dai’an Wright is a British-Chinese-Vietnamese publisher , designer and illustrator based in Birmingham, UK. She studied Classics at Brasenose College, Oxford, and worked in ebook production at Orion Publishing Group before leaving in 2012 to set up the Emma Press with the support of the Prince’s Trust.
The Head That Wears a Crown: Poems About Kings and Queens
ISBN 978-1-910139-76-9 / RRP £12.00 / 168 pages / 63 poems / 210 x 150cm
Publication date: 6th December 2018