Mandy Coe

Mandy Coe serves as a Visiting Teaching Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University's School of English, where she specializes in children's poetry and creative writing. An acclaimed author of five poetry collections, she has significantly shaped children's literature through both her creative works and advocacy initiatives.

Her research centers on the intersection of poetry, emotional expression, and childhood development, with particular focus on how poetic forms can make complex themes accessible to young readers. Coe investigates identity formation, social inclusion, and educational creativity through lyrical innovation, consistently emphasizing poetry's role in fostering imagination amid constrained arts funding environments.

Coe's publications reveal an evolution from emotional exploration in early works like If You Could See Laughter toward contemporary social themes in Belonging Street, demonstrating increasing emphasis on diversity and cultural representation while maintaining child-centered accessibility. Her consistent use of narrative techniques and visual language bridges literary sophistication with youthful engagement.

Her major recognitions include:

• Ilkley Festival Poetry Prize (2006)
• Liverpool’s Ted Walters Memorial Prize (2008)
• Joint winner of the first ever Manchester Poetry Prize
• Short-listed for Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) Children’s Poetry Award (2010)

Coe chaired the 2014 Manchester Writing for Children Prize judges panel and coordinated the 'Survive and Subvert' conference at the 2012 Manchester Children's Book Festival, leading to a national campaign (with Arts Council England support) revitalizing children's poetry publishing. No information is available regarding graduate student advising or research grants.