British author sets inspiring record with massive poetry lesson

"I'm counting the days until I'm a famous tennis player."

"I'm counting on the people in power to protect the planet."

Bright-eyed and innocent, but hiding the power of a hurricane, these are just a few of the “things that count” that thousands of children collected for the record-breaking poem “What Do You Think Counts?”

The submissions were threaded into a single work thanks to British poet and children's author Laura Mucha, exploring different facets of children's everyday lives.

With this inspiring collaborative effort, the author (who is the pen behind many beloved works, such as the poetry collection Dear Ugly Sisters.) gave voice to the huge creativity of these little writers, setting two remarkable records in the process.

On 3 October 2024, she successfully hosted the largest poetry lesson EVER (both the single-venue and multiple venues).

The ambitious feat celebrated National Poetry Day and involved several schools.

Spearheaded by Mucha, who lives and writes in London, the event was arranged with the collaboration of several organizations: The Forward Arts Foundation, The Poetry Archive, the National Literacy Trust, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, and The Poetry Society, funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

To kick off the collective literary celebration, youths across the country submitted their interpretations of the theme, 'What do you think counts?'

Predictably, the project was immediately a huge success.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of thousands of kids, the largest poetry lesson (multiple venues) was achieved with flying colours in October.

Overall, the massive lesson included a whopping 43,516 participants aged 7-12 from all over the United Kingdom, with a number of overseas schools joining the project.

The interactive poetry session allowed the pupils to discover a new and fun side to writing, unleashing their creativity and allowing them the freedom to express themselves. 

The young poets quickly proved their eagerness to share their thoughts and feelings. 

From unconditional love for a pet to friendships, without forgetting sweet treats and games, "Who do you count on?" and "What really counts for you?" were only some of the big questions explored in the poem.

After collecting the submissions, Laura drafted a poem that included the children's thoughts and prepared for a one-of-a-kind in-person poetry lesson.

That initial draft was edited during a massive, digital workshop on Zoom, attended by more than 1,000 schools around the world who shared ideas and voted on what was added and cut. Every child had a say over how the poem shaped up.

One of the schools that attended this lesson was Langstone Primary Academy, in Portsmouth, UK: with 343 children attending from class years three to six, it successfully resulted in the largest poetry lesson ever.

The attempt unravelled under the careful guidance of official Guinness World Records Adjudicator Joanne Brent, as well as 12 teachers and 1 headteacher. 

Moreover, Certificates of Participation were available for the students' parents to purchase, allowing each family to celebrate the unique experience.

Laura’s son was also taking part in the attempt: understandably, the young writer was extremely excited about the opportunity and couldn't wait to celebrate the record! 

“His Certificate of Participation is proudly on display in his room,” Laura added.

The event boosted the students’ creativity, allowing their voices to blossom without the usual limitations imposed by a traditional lesson, and more ideas were added to the collective poem throughout the class. 

Navigating the event and organizing the schools, however, was no easy feat.

“I knew that a mass participation record would involve a lot of work, but I had no idea QUITE how much,” Laura admits as she looks back at the logistics of what turned out as a record-breaking collective effort. 

“What was most challenging was the volume of work over an extended period of time,” she added, remembering that the attempt required a lot of time and attention to detail.

Both Laura's personal and professional life were focused on the event, as the author fully dedicated herself to celebrating children’s voices and fostering their love for literature.

“I think my husband is delighted about the record mostly because he’s looking forward to not having to listen to me talk about the logistics of it every day…” she joked. 

“But I also felt a huge sense of community working with charities and organizations and thousands of teachers and librarians across the world who, on top of their full-on day jobs, complied with the strict evidence requirements and submitted vast amounts of videos, photos and forms.”

The road to record-breaking was long but, thankfully, highly rewarding.

The past months are peppered with great moments that Laura will remember forever, including the video in collaboration with Storycatchers, the certificate presentation with Guinness World Records Adjudicator Joanne and the overall enthusiasm the kids poured into the project. 

“Lots of students commented on funny lines, but also said that ‘I’m counting how many times a grown-up says no’ or ‘how many times I cry about homework’ really resonated with them," the British author commented.

"Why do we pile on the homework and why do grownups say no SO much?!"

The final draft of "What do you think counts?" explored all the things the students counted on, their relationships with friends and families, and how they saw themselves in the future as they counted the days until they became grown-ups.

But Mucha is not new to uplifting young minds with her works and example.

“I used to be a corporate lawyer and was hit by a car and left bedbound at age 29,” she confesses. 

“Writing (and reading) were fundamental to my ability to cope and feel like I had a purpose even though I couldn’t walk two minutes to the supermarket.”

Today, the award-winning author adds that she is "evangelical about literacy," as it's a fundamental part of a person's well-being and mental health.

She is always up for an adventure, whether in the real world or between the pages of a story, and her creativity shines in her works. 

Her poetry stands out thanks to its vibrant language, rhyme, and rhythm. Her words bring the world to life - a world that is always bright, positive, and bursting with an inspiring love for writing.

Other than the excitement about the record, the British author recalls that she also felt an obligation toward her young co-authors, as she knew she was responsible for the dreams and hopes of everyone involved in the record attempt.

“I’m mostly relieved,” she confesses now. “I knew that, if the record was rejected, I would let tens of thousands of young people down!” 

“I think once I get past the relief I will start feeling excitement,” she adds.

As she celebrates the achievement surrounded by the pride of her family, Laura took the chance to thank all the collaborators and communities who worked together to empower and elevate the voices of children across the nation. 

“Thanks to the Arts Council England, National Poetry Day (shout out to Jay Bhadricha), Storycatchers, the Poetry Archive, Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, National Literacy Trust, Poetry Society, Cambridge University, PSP Live Events and Zoom Events for their support,” she said.

“And a HUGE thank you to everyone that joined me in this record attempt,” she carried on.

“It might be my name on the certificate, but this record was about a vast number of people coming together to create and do something valuable.”

And to the children who took part in the record, she adds: "I think what counts is each one of you. Thank you for breaking this record with me."