Oliver Sykes MBE BCAa

Today, I'll be performing #WeAreFamily at St. Chrysostum's Primary School and Manchester Central Library, promoting the #Take10ToRead campaign with @manclibraries, #ReadMCR and National Literacy Trust.

I'll also be trying to squeeze in my own 10 minutes to read! I hope you'll be doing the same! 📚

Recent post! Books and magazines I’m really enjoying. Well done Aeos Magazine, @barbarableiman.bsky.social @citizen-chris.bsky.social @oliversykesauthor.bsky.social and Simon Lamb. You stars! 🌟🌟🌟

Thanks so much! ✨️

Wow! TWO of my books have been voted for by kids to be shortlisted for the 2025 Children's Literature Festivals Book Awards! 🤩 Thnx to Ian Morris who illustrated both, to publishers @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social and Man Met Uni & Your Story, and all the children who voted! 🥳🎊✨

Thanks Kate! Best of luck with your new OB book and i hope your paths cross again in the future! 👍x

Lovely pic from the #CLiPPA book ceremony with primary school legends Jack and Caddus from Summercroft Primary 😊

They did an exceptional job performing 'Saving Face' from #WeAreFamily in front of 1000 people!

Good job, lads! 🫡

Hi @katewakeling.bsky.social, I just wanted to say how lovely it was to meet you at the Clippa ceremony. Despite how confident i am on stage, I find those sorts of after-events quite anxiety-inducing, but chatting to you really helped calm my nerves, so huge thank you! 😊

Today, I receive an MBE for Services to Access to the Arts for Underprivileged Young People.

I'd like to dedicate it to my dad, who raised me and my five siblings, who taught me the importance of education and who encouraged me to chase my dreams.

Nais tuke, Dad! 🙏

✨️ Super-excited to share that We Are Family has been shortlisted for The 2025 Week Junior Book Awards! ✨

Huge thanks to my publisher, Otter-Barry Books, for taking a chance on this proud working class writer! 🫶

Thanks Attie! ✨️

We Are Family - Just Imagine We Are Family: Oliver Sykes talks to Nikki Gamble about his CLiPPA shortlisted collection

All 5 of the '25 CLiPPA shortlisted poets are having chats with Nikki Gamble for her Just Imagine UK podcast!

I had a blast chatting with her, and performing 'Boxing With My Dad' and 'This Field On This Farm'.

Here's the link:

justimagine.co.uk/2025/05/13/w...

Thanks so much!! I'm absolutely thrilled! 🤩 And also very grateful to you for your support! 🙏

A pic of the Sounds Like Humans album. The sleeve has quirky drawing of the band’s instruments and books piled up where the singer is supposed to be. There’s a lovely floral carpet, too. The white vinyl record is peeping out of the sleeve.

Sounds Made by Humans, an album of my poems put to music by the brilliant Catenary Wires comes out a week tomorrow. To celebrate, Rough Trade are releasing an exclusive white vinyl version.

If you fancy getting hold of a copy, it can be ordered here: www.roughtrade.com/product/soun...

👇

Graphic showing the five collections shortlisted for the CLiPPA 2025, CLPE Children's Poetry Award. They are: Wise Up! Wise Down! by John Agard and JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, Walker Books Let Sleeping Cats Lie, Brian Bilston, Macmillan Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller, illustrated by Tor Freeman, Frances Lincoln Big Red Dragon by Jane Newberry, illustrated by Carolina Rabei, Otter-Barry Books We Are Family by Oliver Skyes, illustrated by Ian Morris, Otter-Barry Books

“Five new poetry collections, each with their own magic.”
Roger McGough reveals the shortlist for #CLiPPA2025, the year’s best new #poetry for children. Find out more about the shortlisted collections & #teachers, sign up for @theclpe.bsky.social Shadowing now!

booksforkeeps.co.uk/roger-mcgoug...

Thanks so much, Kirsten! And so glad to hear that you enjoyed the book! 😊✨️

1/2 Every emotion in the gorgeous funny and moving We Are FamilyI’ve been reading it with my 8yo (we take turns in reading the verses). From lumps in my throat to tears of laughter this book about @oliversykesauthor.bsky.social real life childhood has it all…

Big Cat Read On 20 exciting free readers to bridge the jump from banded readers to longer chapter books, featuring more sophisticated themes, vocabulary, plots and structures.

Less than two weeks to go until #BigCatReadOn is here! 🤩

Big Cat Read On is a new collection of 20 chapter books designed to improve reading stamina and comprehension at upper KS2, and I'm overjoyed that my new book ‘Saving Anwen’ is included!

Find out more here: collins.co.uk/collections/...

Will review properly the other side of school holiday madness but just popped on to say absolutely love @oliversykesauthor.bsky.social book We Are Family. Emotional rollercoaster of a poetry novel. Funny and moving…love that poetry novels like one this are being firmly placed on the book shelf map 😍

Thanks so much, Kirsten! I'm so happy that you've enjoyed it! Hope you have a lovely Easter holiday! 👍

Oh, also, I have to credit the masterful Ian Morris for his beautiful cover and wonderful illustrations! 👍

Thanks so much, Chris! Can't wait for it to be in classrooms being used by teachers and read by kids! 👍

📣BOOK NEWS📣

My next book ‘Saving Anwen’ publishes in just two weeks as part of #BigCatReadOn! Set children up for a lifelong love of reading with new chapter books from Collins Big Cat, perfect for use in the classroom and at home 📚 Find out more here: collins.co.uk/collections/...

Aw, thank you! It would be amazing to have you read it too! 😊

We Are Family | Otter-Barry Books Six Kids and a Super-Dadby Oliver SykesIllustrated by Ian Morris

Have you come across my debut children's collection, www.otterbarrybooks.com/product-page...? If you like the look of it, I'd be happy to send a reviewers copy if you would like? 👍

Had a lovely time in Trafford recently, performing #WeAreFamily! Big thanks to Trafford Libraries for making it happen 😊

Had an amazing time this afternoon! Huge thanks to everyone who came to watch #wearefamily, and a huge thanks to the theatre staff (Gaynor, Gwyneth and Barry) at Theatr Twm O'r Nant in Denbigh! ☺️👏

Had a wonderful time today performing my stage adaptation of #WeAreFamily at Old Trafford Library and Sale Library! 🥳

Huge thank you to Trafford Libraries for all their support and to everyone who came down 👏

Next stop... Theatr Twm O'r Nant, Denbigh! 🤩