May Artist of the Month – Nick Toczek

Our May ‘Artist of the Month’ is poet Nick Toczek

About Nick Toczek

Nick Toczek is a full-time professional writer and performer. Best known as a poet, he’s also a journalist, magician, puppeteer, lyricist, and vocalist. He’s published dozens of books, released twenty albums of music and spoken word, and has performed worldwide. For the past fifty years, he’s worked extensively as a writer-in-schools. Born and raised in Bradford, Yorkshire (where he still lives), he’s married to Gaynor. They have two grown-up children and an expanding number of grandchildren. In December 2023, the University of Bradford presented him with an Outstanding Contribution Award for his services to the arts and culture in the region.

What a visit from Nick entails

Nick works with all age groups and abilities, from mother-and-toddler and other pre-school groups through the whole of primary and secondary to students in colleges and universities.

Nick’s introductory presentations, which are both entertaining and participatory, usually entail a lively mix of his performance poems, magic tricks, writing ideas, comedy, stories, and (especially with primary pupils) puppetry. He loves working with large groups and often does whole-school shows that, even in primary, hold the attention of very young and older pupils alike. He likes to do these presentations (which usually last for between 30 minutes and an hour) at the start of the day, so that all the pupils share meeting him and he can then get straight into workshop sessions without needing to do separate and time-consuming introductions.

For his workshops, Nick can adapt to work with all ages and all sizes of groups, from half a dozen to a couple of hundred at a time. He usually offers different prose and poetry writing exercises to each group. This way, the school can benefit from a wide variety of creative and practical methods, templates and ideas.

You can see details on his visits here

Testimonials from previous visits.

"Nick was a superb author to have into school. He was thoughtful and mindful of engaging and inspiring the children at all times. His assembly for our year 3 and 4 children had them totally engaged and excited. They loved him reading and performing his poems to them and were totally baffled and bemused by his magic tricks. The staff had only but praise for his classroom workshops that got all children writing and exploring rhymes. The children were also keen to buy some of his books and he sold many at the end of the day. We would not hesitate to have Nick back into school-it really was a super day.”

St Mary’s Primary School

“His visit was wonderful, the children had a great day.

His assembly was fantastic, eliciting laughter from both children and adults alike, which created a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The performance of his poems was particularly noteworthy; his delivery captivated the audience and brought the words to life. Additionally, Nick's workshops provided invaluable ideas to enhance oracy and linguistic skills, encouraging our pupils to express themselves more effectively. Overall, the visit was a great success, motivating our pupils to explore their creativity and appreciate the power of literature.”

English Martyr’s Catholic Primary School

“The children really enjoyed and so did the adults. The magic tricks were a big hit. The children enjoyed the workshops with Nick.”

Ysgol Golwg Pen Y Fan

“The children enjoyed Nick - he was different to the other poets that we have had. He was very funny, with a relaxed style and was very happy leading assemblies with no input from teaching staff. Nick was also confident in front of each class and needed no teacher input again. This enabled teachers to enjoy the day too. Nick motivated the children to write simple but effective poems, which were differentiated throughout the school year groups. I'd recommend him to any school.”

Garton on the Wolds CE Primary School

Interview with Nick Toczek

You have been with Authors Abroad for quite a long time. How did you join us?

When Trevor Wilson (founder of Authors Abroad) contacted me in 2007, I’d been a full-time writer and performer for thirty-five years. Since 1995, I’d had a series of very popular poetry collections published by Macmillan Children’s Books. As a result, I was in high demand as a writer in schools. Organising all my touring around the UK and overseas (I’d visited China, America, Canada, and several European countries) was stressful and extremely time-consuming. He was based in Steeton near Keighley. I was thirteen miles away in Greengates on the Leeds-Bradford border. I remember that we met up in The Hop, in Saltaire. Trevor and his wife had been teachers in international schools. They’d been back in England for several years and, working from his home, he’d been managing the career of the children’s author, Peter J. Murray. Trevor’s company, Mokee Joe Promotions, had published several of Murray’s books and had been organising all his school visits. In that first meeting, Trevor explained that he wanted to expand his operation by taking on more children’s authors. He offered to organise my school visits, publish my work, and improve my book sales in schools. I was cautiously interested. Over a series of weekly meetings, I came to like and trust him. His plan was to set up Authors Abroad, with a new imprint, Caboodle Books, to run in tandem with it. In 2008, he duly published my first Caboodle book, ‘Me & My Poems’, and began organising school visits for me around the UK and overseas. It was exciting, worked really well, and allowed me to focus fully on my work as a writer and performer. Soon, other authors came on board, several of them suggested by me. Eighteen years later, I’ve no regrets. Trevor’s unique vision has produced an extraordinary global bridge between writers and schools, and I’ve loved being part of it.

You have performed in a lot of different locations and settings. Have any been particularly memorable?

I’ve collaborated with the classical composer, Malcolm Singer. Using my poems, we’ve produced two cantatas, a musical, and an opera - all of which have had major London premieres. The first of those, our Dragons Cantata, was premiered at the Albert Hall in 1998. It featured an 800-strong choir and a full orchestra, and the venue was sold out. Our son, Matthew, who was eight at the time, sang with the choir, and the whole event started with me reading some of my dragon poems. That was one of my largest audiences, in one of the country’s most prestigious venues.

What difference can poetry make?

Good poems (and good song lyrics) use language sparingly and precisely. They say more, in fewer words, than any other key literary or verbal form. Great poems don’t just convey the poet’s voice; they speak for all of us. In love, in war, in grief, people turn to poetry. Poems help us to cope and to understand. They convey our values, hopes, fears, and passions. They demystify life and death. And, like all great literature, you know it’s good when you encounter it, because you find yourself wishing you’d written it. Not everyone writes a novel or even a short story. Not everyone produces journalism. Not everyone gets published, but there can hardly be anyone who hasn’t tried to create poetry. You don’t have to be able to write. Cultures with no literature have songs and poems at their heart. They get passed from mouth to mouth. They tell stories, record histories, and express cultural values. Poetry doesn’t make a difference. It makes us different. Throughout our lives, from nursery rhymes to poems of loss and remembrance, it reaches out to us, touches us, and changes us. Poetry is the finest vehicle we have for our individual and collective consciousness.

You work with a wide range of ages and abilities. How do you tailor a day to make sure everyone is included?

First and foremost, I absolutely LOVE what I do. Enthusiasm is infectious. I shout, chant, and sing my poems. I joke, tell stories, and explain myself and my work. I use my magic tricks and my puppetry as visual breaks from what would otherwise be just my voice and my animated presence. When I’m performing or teaching writing, I like to feel that I own the room. I constantly watch for anyone not fully involved and make every effort to draw them in. My belief in using language, writing confidently, and being thrilled by exploring creativity is central to my work as a visiting writer and tutor. My writing and performing exercises are structured to be accessible to everyone in the groups with which I work. I like to pre-plan every session and to offer a range of ideas and approaches. Clear and accessible templates really help. It’s also a matter of experience. I’ve worked in thousands of schools and have encountered most of the stumbling blocks. I’ve learned to be flexible and to take the unpredictable and unexpected in my stride. And I relish the challenge of winning over every new group. I’ve been doing this work for more than fifty years, and still find every visit exhilarating. There’s no better job than sharing a love of language!

What can a school expect if they host a day with you?

An average visit would begin with a whole school performance to introduce myself. This usually lasts an hour (primary) or half an hour (secondary), but could be shorter if that’s preferred. In such a session, I perform some of my poems, do a few magic tricks, talk about my life and work, maybe do a bit of puppetry. It’s a proper show that’s designed to be fun, lively, and entertaining, as well as informative. I then usually do a series of workshops with different classes or year groups. That introductory performance saves me from wasting a lot of valuable time introducing myself at the start of each workshop. I provide different workshops (usually a mix of poetry and prose) for each group. Usually, in a workshop of around 40-60 minutes, I’ll present two or three very different writing ideas and get the pupils to start work on each of them. These can then be completed afterwards, either in class or as homework. Because I give different ideas to each group, I encourage the pupils to share their finished work with the other groups. That way, there’s a knock-on effect after my visit, with everyone getting a taste of further writing ideas. If the pupils can complete the work they’ve started with me in class that same day, we sometimes get together towards the end of the school day to hear some of the finished pieces. This also allows me to talk a bit about performance and presentation skills.

What can a school do to ensure an author or poet visit has a big impact and goes as smoothly as possible?

Give staff, pupils, and parents advanced notice of the visit. Create a buzz. Put up posters and circulate information about the visitor. Make the pupils familiar with some of the visitor’s work. Let the visitor have full details about access, parking, etc. Liaise with them. Agree on expectations, timetable, requirements, support, etc. Good pre-planning is essential. The easier it is for the visitor to focus on his/her sessions, the better the visit will go. Ensure that the relevant teachers are present at the sessions. Teacher involvement and follow-up really do cement a visit. Almost all the writers associated with Authors Abroad are highly experienced. Trust them. Be enthusiastic.

What advice would you give to parents and teachers to help inspire a reluctant reader or writer?

There are many possible reasons for a pupil being identified as a reluctant reader or writer. Advice is therefore difficult. Building self-confidence is likely to help. Patiently assisting the pupil to achieve even a little writing or reading every day may prove fruitful, especially if the subject matter of the task is of personal interest to the pupil. I’ve worked extensively with pupils catagorised as reluctant writers and/or readers, and have found that simple exercises which are clearly structured can get real results. I vividly remember working with one very difficult group of teenage lads. After two basic writing exercises, I’d got all but one of them to get some writing done. For the third exercise, I carefully explained what a six-word story was. I gave a few examples, and then encouraged them all to have a go it. Slowly, most of them began coming up with ideas, but not the particularly reluctant lad. It took quite a lot of gentle cajoling and goading on my part to get him finally to unfold his arms and pick up his pencil. Two minutes later, he nodded when I asked him if he’d written a six-worder. I invited him to stand up and read it out to the group. He told me I wouldn’t like it. I said, “Just read it”. He did… and I loved it: “Bald man made me write this.” The whole room laughed, he grinned. I high-fived him and said it was brilliant. For the rest of the session, the whole group, including him, did plenty of writing. Sometimes, all it takes is to break the ice.

How do you keep coming up with ideas for new poems after writing so many?

I write every day. It’s a habit I began when I was around eight years old. A relative used to buy me a diary every Christmas. I’d keep it for a few weeks and then lose interest. It left me feeling guilty, so instead of trying to keep up diary entries, I began jotting down daily verbal observations - ideas, jokes, overheard phrases, interesting facts, etc. Slowly, some of these started to turn into poems or stories. Later, I started using notebooks. I already wanted to be a writer and soon realised that writing something daily focused my thinking and kept me writing fit. Just as an athlete needs to work out and train every day, a writer must get used to regularly getting ideas down and then shaping them up. I throw away nothing. There’s almost always a line or phrase, even in a poor piece of writing, that might later trigger something new and better. Whenever I’m a bit stuck for what to write, I go back through past work and select a piece or fragment of a piece to develop. Some days I may not be in the mood to write, other days I may be too tired to come up with much that’s fresh and new, but I always get something down. More importantly, I never have writer’s block. The ideas are always there!

What has been a memorable moment from a school or library visit?

Wow! There have been so many such moments. Some of the most memorable have occurred while working with pupils with special needs or with those who were very young. I remember signing books in a primary school after a day-long visit. The very last child in the long queue was a girl accompanied by a woman whom I (wrongly) assumed was her mum. As I signed her book, I asked the girl for her name. She said nothing, but the woman answered for her. I wrote a joky dedication which was a couplet rhyming with her name. The girl immediately replied with a couplet rhyming with Nick. The two of us then traded couplets that gradually became ruder about each other. Both of us were laughing. Then the woman with her pulled her away. I anxiously asked a teacher if I’d offended the girl’s mum. The teacher went to check. Returning, she said, “That wasn’t her mum, it was her carer. She wasn’t at all offended. She was amazed and was on the phone to the girl’s mum.” It transpired that the girl had been voluntarily mute for the past three years. Those rhyming couplets were the first words she’d spoken in all that time. How’s that for the power of poetry?

On another occasion, while I was working in a special school and performing for children with severe physical disabilities, one girl lay motionless on a stretcher. Partway through the show, I began performing a simple rhythmic and rhyming poem while holding a puppet. The puppet was moving its head in time to the rhythm of the poem. The girl on the stretcher began to do the same with her head. The teachers gasped. That was the first time they’d ever seen her physically respond to any external stimulus. That incident taught me the true value of puppetry.

Here’s a third occasion. I’d been booked by a library to do a show for pre-school children. The session, which began at 9.30 a.m., attracted more than two dozen tinies together with their mums, most of whom had just dropped off older siblings at primary school. Before starting, I asked the librarian how long I should perform. She said, “Oh, just do as long as the children want.” The session lasted until 2.45 p.m. when the mums all left to collect those siblings from school. At various times during that five-and-a-quarter-hour performance, the tinies, their mums, and the library staff took toilet breaks and had drinks and sandwiches for lunch. Not me. Those little children wouldn’t let me stop for one moment!

One final memory. I was in a primary school, doing a workshop with the youngest pupils - mostly five-year-olds. Their teacher had told me that some wouldn’t be able to write. He asked me to focus on getting them to think up ideas. I explained six-word stories to them and asked them to put their hands up if they could think of any. One girl came to me and asked for help. I said, “How about a scary story?” She smiled before replying, “Ooh, I like scary!” She sat back down, only to raise her hand within about two minutes. “Is this any good?, she asked before saying, “I saw somebody. I live alone”. Her extraordinary six-word story makes me shiver whenever I re-tell it. It’s doing that right now.

Poetry has taken you around the world. Any particularly memorable overseas visits, and anywhere still on your wish list?

I’ve been so lucky. Poetry has taken me to four dozen countries. All have been interesting. I could write a book on the memorable visits and incidents. I love eating the local food, no matter how strange it seems. In Cambodia, I’ve eaten a roast tarantula and beef with red ants. In Thailand, I’ve eaten a grilled scorpion and a whole cupful of roast flies, grubs, and beetles. In China, I’ve enjoyed a mega-hot frog curry and have relished boiled tripe, duck intestines, and donkey. In Kazakhstan, I’ve loved having fermented horse milk for breakfast. Along the way, I’ve been caught up in riots, had loaded guns pointed at me several times, been bitten by monkeys, and had my blood sucked by leeches. Life’s a huge adventure, and foreign travel just magnifies it all. I’m so grateful for everywhere I’ve been. My favourite country? Vietnam. Still on my wish list are Japan, Australia and New Zealand, most of South America (I’ve only been to Brazil and Mexico), all the Caribbean islands, Iceland, Mongolia, the Philippines, and everywhere I’ve already been, all over again!

Poets tend to be a close-knit community, and you have suggested great new poets to us whom we have signed up. What difference does it make, as a freelancer, to have support from other artists? Are there any new up-and-comers to whom you would like to give a shout-out, or another act you would like to thank?

When I was starting out as a poet, I had great support from established poets such as Jeff Nuttall and Roger McGough. This taught me that networking matters. The world of poetry is a small one, too small for petty arguments. Mutual support helps us all to survive and thrive. There was a thriving global performance poetry network during the pandemic. I took an active part in that, mostly via Facebook and Zoom. Some of that activity still persists. I’ve always tried to help and to work with other performance poets. As for newer names, Nabeela Ahmed (Bradford-based) and Joshua Seigal (in London) have both impressed me.

Do you still believe in magic?

Of course I do! I’m a professional magician. How could I possibly deny its existence? Also, there’s something truly magical about how words combine in poetry to become so much greater than the sum of their parts.

You are a local lad. How do you feel about Bradford being City of Culture this year? What impact or legacy do you hope it will have for our city?

I was (and still am) delighted that Bradford has been made the City of Culture for 2025. It’s where I was born and have lived for almost all my life (apart from a few years when I went to University in Birmingham). Bradford is and always has been my home. Wherever I travel in the world, I always love returning here. It’s a city that’s had a tough time economically. Its once-thriving nightlife has gone into steep decline over the past thirty years. My hope is that this year of culture will reverse that depressing trend.

In a time with so many voices and such an abundance of fake news, why is journalism more important than ever?

Nice question. This is also my territory. I’ve been a journalist for as long as I’ve been a writer and performer. As well as doing freelance political journalism and research, I also write for two national journals. I have my own column, ‘Funny you should say that…’ in the music magazine, R‘n’R, for which I also write reviews and occasional features. I also have a monthly column, ‘The Yorkshire Detectorist’, in ‘Treasure Hunting’, the UK's leading magazine for metal detectorists, for which I additionally write regular features and occasional reviews. Journalism should truthfully inform. That word ‘truthfully’ has always been problematic. Like history, journalism is subjective. One person’s truth is just their version of it. At best, it’s only what they believe to be true. In my opinion, for example, Donald Trump will be remembered not for being the worst president in American history, but for being the man who taught the world that truth doesn’t matter. However, half of the population of America would wholly disagree with me on both those counts. They’d call me fake news! Journalism, if it’s good, tries to tell the truth. It strives to be the opposite of fake news. That’s why it matters. That’s why I’m a journalist. The truth matters… all the more so when we live in a (sub)culture of lies.

What advice would you give to a budding writer or performer?

Go for it! Write something new every day. Believe in yourself. Never finish any piece of writing before you’ve learned something from it. Find your own voice. In every sentence you write, think of the words as a team and be certain that each word is adding something to the whole. Any player not pulling their weight must be dropped from the team. Lazy words have to go.

How do you discover new voices or pick new books to read?

Mostly through listening to Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra. I also like to swap books with other writers that I meet.

What are your hobbies?

Writing, travelling and performing, doing magic tricks, sudoku, listening to music, going metal detecting one day each week, gardening, doing pub quizzes, cooking, being Nick Toczek (because it’s varied and rewarding).

What is next on your goal list?

Tomorrow. Every new day is an exciting mystery.

Quick Fire

Sunshine of snow?

Sunshine, of course.

Would you rather be able to turn invisible or fly?

Just watch me fly!... which you couldn’t do if I were invisible. Wanting to be invisible is either sad or a bit creepy.

If dragons were real, would you try to befriend them or avoid them?

I don’t buy your ‘if’! Dragons are real. Read my Caboodle book ‘Dragons Are Back!’ It’s probably the best book I’ve ever written. And befriend them, of course. Avoiding them is cowardice. Live outside your comfort zone. Mingle with dragons!

What is the last thing that made you laugh?

Life amuses me. I chat with people. We laugh together every day. What really did make me laugh just two weeks ago was being stopped by a customs officer when I was returning from a week of working in schools in China. He pointed to my bag and demanded to know whether there was any hairspray in it. I responded by pointing to my bald head. He actually had the grace to apologise before nodding me through the customs barrier. Loved that moment!

Most unusual dish you have ever tried?

This involves a particular Chinese food ingredient, Sichuan peppercorn. It isn’t, in fact, pepper. It’s a spice made from the dried husks of the prickly ash shrub. This contains a chemical that briefly numbs some of your taste buds. If you eat food containing it, the taste changes. One moment, it seems salty. Then, as you continue to chew, it suddenly becomes sweet, then it turns sour, then very bitter, then like hot chillis. It’s an amazing experience.

If you were Prime Minister for a day, what law would you introduce?

Political education in schools. This would mean that everyone reaching the voting age would actually know what they were doing when they voted.