Find out more about our guests
Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen is one of the UK’s most celebrated writers and performers, renowned as a poet, author, broadcaster, and educator. Former Children’s Laureate (2007–2009), he has written over 140 books that have delighted generations. A familiar voice on BBC Radio’s Word of Mouth, Rosen is also a passionate advocate for language, literature, and education. His work spans humorous verse, political poetry, memoir, and theatre, and he continues to inspire through live shows, lectures, and his popular YouTube channel Kids’ Poems and Stories with Michael Rosen.
His love of languages runs deep: raised in a family where French (alongside German and Yiddish) was cherished, Rosen is a great speaker of French and has written One day, a bookfollowing Jewish résistants during WWII. Since teaching Michaël about Children Literature at Goldsmiths University, they have kept in touch (in French!) and they perform together at last!
Michaël Vidon
Creative educator passionate about inspiring curiosity and confidence in language learners, Michaël Vidon blends innovative creative methods inspired by poetry and rap with school curricula. When he is not teaching French and leading his department in an outstanding state school, he empowers students on multilingual creative projects and collaborates with Institut Français du Royaume-Uni, European Union, Stephen Spender Trust and other arts organisations. He is one of a few poets in the world to have been selected on the ground breaking Spoken Word Education Programme at Goldsmiths University.
Vidon writes and performs in English, in French, but his favourite thing is the mix of French and English. Translation processes are at the heart of Vidon’s work. They are dynamic tools : the original, in French or English, morphs in tandem with its target. Vidon navigates the space between meanings in his writing and with learners while celebrating and elevating their lived experiences and wealth of languages.
