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Michael Rosen Day - Biography, Facts & Classroom Activities
Nov. 9, 2026
The aim of Michael Rosen Day, on 12th November, is to 'make reading, listening to, and writing poetry fun, enjoyable and accessible for all'. Purple Mash has a range of resources to celebrate the day in your school.
This year, the theme is Silly School Stuff, and you can register for resources and online events on the Walker Books website.
Who is Michael Rosen?
Michael Rosen is a well-known poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. He has been involved in over 140 different books.
Michael Rosen's Life & Family
Michael was born on 7th May 1946 in Harrow, Middlesex in the United Kingdom. His father was Harold and his mother was called Connie. Both his parents were teachers.
He went to various state schools in Pinner, Harrow and Watford and by the time he was sixteen, he was an avid poetry reader. After school, Michael attended Middlesex Hospital Medical School for a year but then transferred to Oxford University where he studied English.
Michael has been married 3 times. He has 5 children and 2 step children. His second son Eddie died at the age of 18 years from meningitis. His death was the inspiration for the book ‘Michael Rosen’s Sad Book’.
Michael lives in North London.
Michael Rosen's Writing
After university, he went to work at the BBC where he worked on children’s programmes and radio drama. He left the BBC in 1972 when he became a self-employed writer where he wrote poems about his childhood. These were published in 1974 in the book ‘Mind Your Own Business’. Further books followed. His books have won many awards over the years. One of his most famous books is ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’.
Michael Rosen was appointed the sixth British Children's Laureate in June 2007, succeeding Jacqueline Wilson, and held the honour until June 2009, when he was succeeded by Anthony Browne. Michael is now Professor of Children's Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Michael's Manifesto for Reading
- Read as many different types of books as you can – books give you language, thoughts, ideas and feelings.
- Books show you places and cultures very near and dear to you – and others you may not have come across before. Books can take you anywhere.
- Books help you to walk in other people’s shoes, and to see things from someone else’s point of view.
- Read books, share books, talk about books and, most importantly, CHOOSE what YOU want to read. It’s your imagination, so choose what you want to feed it.
- Books are for EVERYONE!
Activities and Resources for Michael Rosen Day
You can write a fact file about Michael Rosen in Purple Mash. There are also some activities to complete after reading his poems. Pupils could draw a map or paint a bear after reading We're Going on a Bear Hunt. After reading Chocolate Cake, they might like to design their own cake.
For writing their own poetry, there are lots of resources to help get them started in the Writing Genres area of Purple Mash.
