Mark, 16: Have you had any involvement with children in care?

BZ: I was in care. I spent eighteen months in an ‘approved school’ called Bonnington Park in Shropshire.

So, I was ‘in care’ of the local authority - I don’t think I could be any more involved than that really!

I met kids from all different parts of the country and also there were a lot of games, camaraderie and stuff like that.

I’ll never forget it, in fact one or two of my experiences are hidden in my novels.

I go back to my days in care for lots of my ideas. I observed a lot and stored it in my mind. I remember at the time thinking ‘I’ve got to make something out of this experience’.

Leo, 12: Have you ever cut your hair?

BZ: No. Well when I was a baby, my parents cut it... but since I was 11 years old I haven't touched it!

"I was in care... I remember thinking at the time ‘I’ve got to make something out of this experience’."

"Anybody can turn around and write a poem, and they're automatically a poet."

Dilly, Huddersfield: Why do you like poetry?

BZ:  To me poetry is the most democratic art form. Anybody can turn around and write a poem and they are automatically a poet. 

All I’m doing is putting words in a particular way to have a particular effect on people. Anybody can do it. Everybody uses words. That’s why I like poetry.

It’s simple, you can write about anger, you can write about love, you can write about football and it’s all poetry.

You can get your anger out on the page, then on the other hand you can write a poem and it can shape a government!

With a book, especially with me cos I’m very dyslexic, I’ve got to sit there for days and read it - weeks sometimes.

But you can look at a poem and think ‘Oh I can do that’ and then start writing one yourself...

Dilly: What’s your favourite poem?

BZ: One that springs to mind is by Adrian Mitchell:

Most people ignores most poetry

Because

Most poetry ignores most people

It says a lot about poetry and a lot about people in a very simple way. And I want to write poetry that doesn’t ignore people.

I want to write poetry that engages people; that people don’t find pretentious and they identify with.

On a whole everyday people want poetry they don’t have to get a dictionary to understand.

They want it to reach them. They don’t want poetry that they need a university degree to understand.

"All I’m doing is putting words in a particular way to have a particular effect on people.

You can get your anger out on the page, then on the other hand you can write a poem and it can shape a government!"