Follow your creative passions, British poet tells school children in Oman

Muscat: Students at British School Muscat were encouraged to follow their creative passions following the visit of award-winning poet Harry Baker last week.
Baker, 24-year-old, the winner of the World Poetry Slam Championship in 2012, spent last Sunday and Monday at the British School Muscat conducting a workshop for students.
“I met a couple of the students and teachers at the Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai earlier in the year,” said Baker, speaking to Times of Oman.
“The school was already familiar with my work, but it was good to make a personal connection. Then it was just a case of a tour being set up in the region and, luckily, the dates all fit together nicely.”
“The main thing I tried to teach the students was that poetry can be fun,” he added.
“On Monday,I had sessions with the Year Five and Six students for an hour each, so as well as giving them a chance to write some of their own poems, there was space for them to perform and support each other at the end in a non-threatening atmosphere that encouraged everyone to get involved.”
“They were really enthusiastic. As well as workshops with the younger students, I did performances with years seven to 11, and it was amazing to see how engaged they were with poetry and what questions they came up with at the end.”
Given the positive response he received, Baker says he is enthusiastic about returning to Oman in the future.
“I enjoyed the difference in weather from the United Kingdom at the moment,as well as the constant backdrop of the mountains,” he said.
“I managed to make it to the sea once and was given a quick driving tour of Muscat before I went back to the airport, but next time I will definitely have to stay longer.”
Baker, who uses poetry as a creative outlet for his thoughts, recently gained recognition in his native Britain when he won the Best Spoken Word Show award at the well-known Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival last year.
“I used to love reading as a child. It’s a way of getting completely lost in another world, and having the chance to explore your imagination is a fantastic one,” he
explained.
“I feel very grateful that my parents always supported me when I was trying out writing poetry for myself, and even pursuing it as
a career.”
“I used to read a lot of children’s poetry when I was little. I loved the playfulness of language and seeing what was possible with words. As time went by, poetry became a way for me to process the world around me on my own terms,” added Baker.
“I know not everyone is that fortunate, but I would encourage parents to definitely get behind your kids trying out new things like this, as you never know where it might end up, and even if it goes nowhere in the long run, it is still important to have these experiences.”