Joel McKerrow
Joel McKerrow is an award-winning writer, speaker, children’s author and one of Australia’s most successful performance poets. He represented Australia at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championships. He presents in more than 50 schools a year, as well as within many of Australia’s premiere festivals. His book Heist: The Great Chocolate Caper was the bestselling book of the 2025 Sydney Writers Festival.
Joel is the author of the Heist series, the Urban Legend Hunters graphic novel series, and Grave Robbing and Other Curious Activities, a standalone middle-grade murder mystery. His favourite writing is where poetry and story smoosh together into something altogether glorious. Joel also has 12 books or albums of poetry.
PRESENTATION ONE
The Story Tree: How to Grow a Story from Nothing
Every story begins with a seed of inspiration. But too often, we wait for that inspiration to find its way to us. What if we could go and find it instead? This session is a fun exploration in creative writing. Using his own narratives, Urban Legend Hunters, Heist and Grave Robbing and Other Curious Activities, Joel delves into a super-simple framework for crafting stories for primary students. He will unlock their imagination and give students a clear way forward to use it well.
AUDIENCEÂ
Years 3–6 (primary)
DURATIONÂ
60 minutes
MAXIMUM STUDENTS
No limit
PRESENTATION TWO
Why Stories Matter (and How to Write One)
Stories don’t just entertain, they shape how we see the world. This session explores story as one of the most powerful forces in our lives. Drawing from Joel’s narrative expertise and his acclaimed fiction work (especially Grave Robbing and Other Curious Activities), students will learn not only how to write a story, but how to leverage the power of story to change their own lives.
AUDIENCEÂ
Years 7–12 (secondary)
DURATIONÂ
60 minutes
MAXIMUM STUDENTS
No limit
PRESENTATION THREE
Poetry Rocks (and Other Interesting Facts)
Poetry isn’t dusty, boring or old … nah, poetry ROCKS! In this high-energy session, award-winning poet Joel McKerrow invites primary students to discover poetry as something alive, surprising and already inside them. Through live performance, storytelling, and fun and accessible writing activities, students will explore rhythm, sound, imagery and emotion. They’ll also learn how poems can come from everyday moments, big feelings and wild ideas. This session gives students permission to play with language and trust their imagination.
AUDIENCEÂ
Years 3–6 (primary)
DURATIONÂ
60 minutes
MAXIMUM STUDENTS
No limit
PRESENTATION FOUR
Voice and Verse: Finding Your Poetic Story
Poetry is more than just flowery words, it is a powerful expression of personal identity, ideas and social stories. Through performance poetry examples, creative-writing prompts and discussion about inspiration and craft, Joel guides young writers to develop techniques to shape meaning with words and find courage to speak their truth on the page and on the stage. In this session, Joel moves beyond forms and rules to explore poetry as self-expression in motion.
AUDIENCEÂ
Years 7–12 (secondary)
DURATIONÂ
60 minutes
MAXIMUM STUDENTS
No limit
