“KS2 had a fantastic day with Matt: he really encouraged them to dig deep and discover how they could use what they know and their life experiences to form some remarkable poetry.”
North Ormesby Primary Academy, Middlesbrough

For over a decade, I’ve delivered poetry and creative workshops for both formal and non-formal learning groups, ranging from primary schools to pensioners. I’ve worked extensively across England and also around the UK and mainland Europe.

As well as mainstream and AP, I’ve also worked for organisations including museums and galleries, arts and music festivals, community groups, prisons, and charities. I’m able to tailor sessions to a variety of desired outcomes and objectives.

My main strengths lie in enthusiasm and confidence building, and my ability to articulate to specific groups and individuals as required. I have no formal teaching experience or qualifications, I simply have an infectious passion for words and poetry.

The obstacle that I constantly encounter (and dismantle) is the perceived barriers to poetry. It’s often unfairly viewed as an intimidating, complex, and highly academic form. My job is to make it feel accessible and enjoyable to writers of all abilities and needs!

“Matt hit the perfect tone for our students and dispelled some of those ‘poet visit’ clichés perfectly. Engaging, funny, and warm, he made our students at ease and confident to ask questions – they were hooked! We’ve already discussed running a Matt Abbott scheme of learning for next year.”
Sherburn High School, Sherburn-in-Elmet

Specialist sessions include Year 6 leaving poems, GCSE pupils who’ve been flagged up as struggling, pupils who’ve been excluded, and voluntary after-school groups. This includes APs such as SEMH schools and PRUs. I’ve also worked in international schools.

Outside of formal education, I’ve worked in prisons and with refugees and asylum seekers, youth offending teams, homeless charities, and NEETs, as well as adults that have signed up for writing and/or performance workshops through festivals and events.

In summer 2017, I was appointed as an ambassador for Eureka! The National Children’s Museum with this poem. In late 2018, I was commissioned to write ‘Remarkable Lives‘ for AET, the largest schools group in England, which formed their core identity.

My début kids’ poetry collection A Hurricane in my Head was published by Bloomsbury Education in 2019. It’s targeted at Upper KS2 & Lower KS3, was a National Poetry Day selected title, and led to a live appearance on Blue Peter.

“It was fantastic having Matt in school for two days. All the children he worked with, from Years 1 to 6, were enthused by poetry as a result of his sessions. They wrote poems as individuals and classes, even wanting to carry on with them after Matt had left, and were left buzzing from the experience.”
Holy Trinity Primary, Halstead

In 2020, I was a Patron for The Poetry Society’s Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. I also appeared in cartoon form in the legendary Beano Magazine! In November 2023, I visited Institut Montana Zugerberg in the Swiss Alps and I’d love to visit mainland Europe more.

I have an Enhanced DBS certificate from September 2025 and I drive. I’m based in Leeds but am happy to travel, depending on my availability. You’ll also find me on the books of organisations including The Poetry Society, Authors Abroad, Arvon, and the National Literacy Trust.

Previous clients

I’ve worked in hundreds of schools around the UK and Europe, in all shapes and sizes. Below is a small selection of the organisations I’ve also delivered workshops for.

Further testimonials

“A contemporary spoken soul breathing new life into performance poetry for children.”
Eastfield Primary Academy, Grimsby

“Matt was excellent – thank you, The Poetry Society, for bringing us together!”
The Brooksbank School, Halifax

“Matt visited some Liverpool schools as part of our Liverpool Children’s Festival of Reading and he was great! He worked with KS3 and KS3 pupils, performing some of his own work as well as supporting them in beginning to create and write their own poetry!”
Liverpool Learning Partnership

“Matt’s poetry workshops with our high ability students were fantastic – the ideas he provoked from within them was amazing to see. The outcomes were second to none and the students excitedly rushed to me the next day with their finished product.”
Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough