VALERIE BLOOM is the author of poetry collections, picture books and fiction, with her poems included in numerous anthologies. Alongside public and media appearances, Valerie is renowned for her inspiring events in schools throughout the UK and internationally. She was awarded an MBE for services to poetry in 2008, and her solo collection of new poems Stars with Flaming Tails illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max (Otter-Barry Books) won the 2022 CLiPPA, the UK’s top award for published poetry for children. From the same creative team, Valerie’s new solo collection They Sent a Cat to Saturn was a Guardian Book of the Month on publication in July 2026.
