Young poets from Devon primary schools have been writing and performing their own poetry.

Under the guidance of prize-winning children's poet James Carter, pupils from five primary schools participated in a week-long project sponsored by the Somerset Literacy Network (SLN).

The schools involved were Axminster Primary School, Ilfracombe First School, Feniton Primary School, Honiton Primary School, and Wynstream Primary School in Exeter.

Mr Carter, a prolific author with fifty children's books to his name, led a series of workshops with the youngsters, fostering a love for reading and language.

The culmination of the project saw each school's final work being performed in their library or school hall, much to the delight of assembled parents and carers.

Mr Carter, who is also a National Poetry Day Ambassador, said: "The children really did their schools proud by writing such excellent poems, and they clearly enjoyed reading them out to parents and carers at the end of each day.

"What was unique and very special about this week was to bring children, poetry, and creativity into libraries, and to see children and families loving this experience.

"My own mission statement as a poet is to show adults how immediate and accessible poetry is, how much children love it, and that words do not only belong in the school environment or curriculum but in the community as a whole."

The SLN is managed by Libraries Unlimited, a charity responsible for the operation of Devon and Torbay's 54 libraries.

The workshops and performances were made possible through funding from Arts Council England, awarded in 2023 specifically for the implementation of arts and creativity projects throughout the county.

SLN manager Dora Allen said: "It’s been a wonderful week watching the children grow in confidence in their skills with language and their love of reading and writing.

"James makes everything fantastic fun for them, and the audience at the performances were delighted."

Established in 2010, the Somerset Literacy Network was set up to offer member schools high-quality English support and resources.

In 2023, Libraries Unlimited took over and rebranded the network as the Schools Literacy Network (SLN).

More than 350 schools across the South West and beyond benefit from workshops, online support, and consultancy, all aimed at fostering a love of books and reading among primary school children.