Very grateful for all the interest. A post will appear on the Dirigible Balloon website with details that will answer questions which have been raised here. Just to clarify one point: this is a charitable project. The DB is unable to make any payment for poems or artwork donated.

We're still shortlisting the poems (no one has been contacted yet). Looking for artists. #PoetryForChildren #DirigibleBalloon #AnthologyNumberThree 🎈

We currently have a longlist of 60 poets in the running for possible inclusion for the next Dirigible Balloon anthology. No one has been contacted. #Thanos #StageOne #TamingTornadoes #PoetryForChildren JH

A poem from my time as a teacher ... #JimTheStick #Poetry

The Mór-Ríoghain #Poetry #IrishFolklore

Keep being visited by the Great Queen ... #IrishFolklore #PoetryPortent #Cumbria

Thursday update: two more accepted today ... need to buy a lottery ticket!

Haven't written much lately so a poetry acceptance this morning was a lovely surprise. 🙂

We've just sent our open mic poets the Zoom link for Sunday's Yes We Cant, which is going to be amazing! If you'd like to join our audience, drop us a line. 😊

Run Day Twenty ... carrying a calf injury. A few days rest required.

My emails seem to be ending up in people's spam folders with a depressing and increasing frequency; hate it when the impression is given that I can't be bothered to respond to communications.

Just arrived in today's post. A beautiful book full of brilliant poems and excellent illustrations. How lucky were we at the Dirigible Balloon to have poems sent by Rhiannon Oliver? Sooo pleased Chris Riddell and Firefly Press agree. #PoetryForChildren

We have sent out replies to all poetry submissions. Please check your spam/junk folders.

Abolish OFSTED #AbolishOfsted 🙂👍

The DB continues to be available for kids,families&schools to access brilliant poems, but we are now taking a break over the rest of spring&summer to review/organise our next anthology. News will follow on the website (soon) with updates of progress and info for poets/artists.

Thank you to everyone who sent poems for our spring flight. The window has now closed. A lot arrived yesterday, so the next few days will be spent reading and replying to emails. #PoetryForChildren #DirigibleBalloon 🎈 dirigibleballoon.org

Poetry Submissions Closing at Midnight GMT March 14th

Children's Poem Of The Week: Dance Of The Stream Sprite by Jacqueline Shirtliff yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Chil...

Accepting submissions until March 14th then we're concentrating on the next anthology (which might mean that the summer flight in June gets pushed back a little). A post will go up on the DB website about our third book once all the spring flight poems have been published. JH 👍#TamingTornadoes

I was thrilled to find out that all three of my poems were added to The Dirigible Balloon today! Now I have a total of four poems on this wonderful website! 🥰 @northernjim.bsky.social

I am excited that my poem Blue Colours Wearing Children is in the spring flight of The Dirigible Balloon. It was one of my most fun poems to write in a workshop. Thanks, @northernjim.bsky.social #Poem #Poetry

Taking another trip on the Dirigible Balloon with the (decidedly not sky-bound) Green Submarine! dirigibleballoon.org/writer/ianbr... @northernjim.bsky.social #WritingCommunity #WritingForChildren #PoetryForKids #PoetryForChildren #PoetryCommunity #KidLit #KidLitUK

So pleased that Little Spring Moon 🌕and Tangrams🔺are up on The Dirigible Balloon website, along with a host of fresh new poetry for kids. @northernjim.bsky.social #poetryforkids #teachingresources dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Little-...

Such a joy to have some new poems up at dirigibleballoon.org So grateful to @northernjim.bsky.social #childrenspoetry

Now uploading our #SpringFlight of excellent poetry for children written by a range of known and unknown poets from around the world ... #NationalYearOfReading #CheckUsOut >>> dirigibleballoon.org #PoetryForChildren #DirigibleBalloon @kidsbloomsbury.bsky.social @schoolreadinglist.bsky.social

Always happy and grateful to have new poems in dirigibleballoon.org - a children's poetry resource like no other the world. Thank you, as ever, to @northernjim.bsky.social #NationalYearOfReading2026 #Poems4kids #TEACHers #poems4kids

Feature on the Dirigible Balloon: Pandora and the Story Forge written by Gaynor Andrews illustrated by Marie-Alice Harel published by Rocket Bird Books dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Pandora...

Walking with Arthur early this morning and we heard a curlew. First of 2026. Never heard one this early before. #CurlewCalling #Cumbria

Today I will mostly be painting the ceiling in the bathroom, drinking coffee, cleaning the walls of the piano room, drinking coffee and starting the process of creating a longlist of poems on the Dirigible Balloon for the third anthology (and drinking far too much coffee). JH 🙂🎈

Sunlight breaking through the clouds over the Howgills. Taken from the top of Orton Scar. #morning #Cumbria #westmorlanddales #UK

Submissions window opens in March for 2 weeks (1/3 until 14/3/2026) ... open theme. JH x #PoetryForChildren #DirigibleBalloon

Submissions window opens in March for 2 weeks (1/3 until 14/3/2026) ... open theme. JH x #PoetryForChildren #DirigibleBalloon

💛💛💛💛💛 My 2nd poem for #childrensmentalhealthweek is one about fear. Read it on the fab @brianmosespoet.bsky.social blogspot or listen on The Dirigible Balloon dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Petrify... where you will find hundreds of wonderful poems suitable for every week! 😊💛 @northernjim.bsky.social

For #NationalHotChocolateDay (who knew?) and half term only 2 weeks away (I’m counting) - here is a poem about wet family holidays! 🥳Read the full version in The Dirigible Balloon- the brilliant bank of #poemsforkids dirigibleballoon.org/poem/In-the-... @northernjim.bsky.social #kidlit #poetry

Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 The Windermere Children #PoetryForChildren soundcloud.com/user-6841090...

Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 The Windermere Children #PoetryForChildren northernjim.wordpress.com/2026/01/27/f...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7F5... northernjim.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/a...

Derek's Theory of Quantum Stiles instagram.com/roguemarker/reel/DLf2VxuToaJ/

The Magic Age (after Jenny Joseph) www.instagram.com/roguemarker/...

Favourite picture from the Contains Strong Language 2020 festival in Carlisle celebrating poetry and spoken word, and which also marked William Wordsworth's 250th birthday. #PoetInAFridge #Cumbria #BBCCumbria

Multiple Choice instagram.com/roguemarker/reel/DTlf8VPE-N8/

A Sofa Shared instagram.com/roguemarker/reel/DTkgLVXE99q/

Fridge Painting instagram.com/roguemarker/reel/DTkh1KIE09w/

The Seventh Whistler instagram.com/roguemarker/reel/DTknxvzkyBX/

Thanks to the brilliant Jonathan Humble @northernjim.bsky.social and All at The Dirigible Balloon. Delighted to have poems fly with so many wonderful poets. #kidlit @scbwirockymtn.bsky.social #poems dirigibleballoon.org

The Scruffy Little Monster: a (nother) Work in Progress Hamnet Banjuhlo has introduced me to the concept known as "multi-tasking" ... I am not very good at it. #UKNationalYearOfReading #GoAllIn2026 #DirigibleBalloon #HumblyBumblyDooDahProductions