At the 2025 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day, acclaimed poet Paula Green delivered a beautiful, lyrical Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture titled Kites and Anchors: A Collage of Writing Poetry For and With Children.
In this deeply personal reflection, Paula shared her journey as a writer, her love for poetry, and her belief in its power to uplift, connect, and transform. Weaving memoir with poetic philosophy, she explored how poetry acts as both kite and anchor—lifting us with imagination and grounding us in lived experience. Her lecture is a celebration of language, creativity, and the importance of nurturing young voices.
To mark this honour, Paula invited children from Westmere School to interview her and select some of their favourite poems on her much-loved Poetry Box blog.
Read Paula’s full lecture on the Storylines website
Explore the Westmere School interviews and poems on Poetry Box
Let yourself be inspired by Paula’s passion for poetry and her dedication to children’s literature.
