Handsworth Grammar World Book Day: A renowned Brummie poet was blown away by talented students from King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys – after they took the school’s traditional values and turned them into powerful rhymes and raps for World Book Day.
On March 5th, students enjoyed a range of interactive events designed to spark their creativity and ignite a passion for reading – including a visit from Birmingham poet and literacy advocate Kurly McGeachie.
Kurly guided enthusiastic Year 7 and Year 12 students through the process of writing and performing their own slam poetry and rap pieces, inspired by the school’s five core values — Community, Aspiration, Respect, Endeavour, and Service (CARES).
Kurly said: “Communicating and understanding your life through rap and performance poetry is very cathartic and can empower you to find solutions. It’s a powerful artform.
“I wanted to show the students that anyone can get started with performance poetry. You start from your comfort zone and move on from there – I began with an old audio cassette recorder practicing alone and ended up performing live at The Royal Albert Hall to 4,000 people!”
Kurly was impressed by writing and performances delivered by the HGS students.
He said: “The students really seized the opportunity to write and perform within an unfamiliar, yet fun context.
“The students really seized the opportunity to write and perform within an unfamiliar, yet fun context.”
– kurly
“They got to have ownership of their words, a bit of guidance, and a safe space to unleash their creativity.
“I’d like to say a big well done to everyone, especially the respectful audiences for encouraging the anxious readers – which clearly comes from a good culture of tolerance and mutual support felt around the school.”
Assistant Headteacher Alison Harvey said: “Kurly had everyone in the palm of his hand from the very start, and it was fantastic to see our students performing their poems as a climax to the session.
“A selection of the work our students produced will be published on our school website soon – so don’t forget to check back to find your favourite!”
Handsworth Grammar’s World Book Day celebrations didn’t end there. Students were led on a virtual stroll through Birmingham’s literary history, from the Domesday Book to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and J. R. R. Tolkien.
Mrs Harvey said: “Our students were amazed to find out that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived in Aston for a time, and may have named his eponymous hero after a music shop in Sherlock St in Birmingham he visited during his time here!
And this year, the school’s fantastic World Book Day celebrations stretch out until May.
All students have been tasked with writing a 500-word short story inspired by detective fiction, as part of the Bronwen Gerrard competition, named after a beloved English teacher from the school who died in 2024.
Mrs Harvey said: “The competition was established in Bronwen’s memory, and students are very enthusiastic about submitting their work.
“The winning entries will be published on our school website after Easter – we can’t wait to share them with you!”
Later, in May, a lucky group of Year 10 students will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a lecture on Black British literature at the British Library, delivered by renowned writer Malorie Blackman.
Headteacher Tim Johnson said: “At HGS, World Book Day isn’t just a one-day event – we foster a culture of literary appreciation year-round. It’s a vital part of our school’s identity.
“We’re grateful to Kurly for inspiring our students to find a new way of using words and are looking forward to lots more literacy events this year.”