ESCAPING your woes through the art of poetry is what Lydiard Park Academy pupils were told from award-winning poet Ash Dickinson this morning.

Ash, who has travelled the globe with his poetry workshops and performances, stopped off at the school as part of the Youth Festival of Literature which came to a close today

As a multiple slam poetry champion, award-winning Ash has previously won the BBC Radio 4 Midlands Slam in 2009 and since then has gone on to have international success with his cleverly crafted words.

Helping to put an end to the festival, which is now in its ninth year, Ash told the Adver: “This month I’ve travelled over 3,700 miles going to schools up and down the country as well as performing. This festival is incredibly important because we are not reading anymore and Netflix or an Xbox are taking that away from people.

“It is great to have fun with words and language and what I want to show these pupils is that poetry is accessible by everyone. Grabbing the attention of pupils at this age is brilliant because in Year 7 a lot of them quite like poetry but by Year 10 or 11, they are grounded down by the system and the fun is taken out of it.

“This festival is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the pupils and show them that poetry is great for telling stories but also at how it can help in their lives as a therapeutic way of coping with something.”

Ash, who appeared at last year’s festival, spoke to pupils in an hour-long interactive session where he explained his unlikely route into poetry in hope of inspiring them to pen their thoughts.

Since publishing his first book Slinky Espadrilles in 2012, Ash has gone on to appear on bills with many national and international poets as well as comedians such as Frankie Boyle, Miles Jupp and Andy Parsons. His latest book, Strange Keys, was released in April.

Ash told pupils: “You’re very lucky in Swindon. To my knowledge there is no other youth literature festival like this across the country and you’re fortunate to have all these great people coming in to talk to you.

“When I was your age, I wasn’t into poetry but it was when I was in my late teenage years that I started to write everything down. I eventually joined a writers group when I was 20 and I must have been the youngest one there.

“I kept writing down everything going on in my life and that is where I have poetry really important. If you are struggling with something, write it down and get it out of you. It is a brilliant way of working out things but also holding onto a moment for years to come.

“Poetry makes people think and feel and it gives them entertainment. It has taken me all over the world and my hobby has become my life and career.”

For more information about this year’s line-up, visit www.swindonyfl.co.uk