Pollok teacher predicted life as writer for Renfrewshire poet laureate

A NEW poet laureate has been named for Renfrewshire in a move that comes as no surprise to his former primary school teacher.

At the early age of nine, Shaun Moore began to show a flair for writing at St Marnock’s Primary School in Pollok.

Although his teacher, Miss Currie, encouraged him to nurture his gift Shaun was far from pleased with her predictions.

Pictured: The new Tannahill Makar for Renfrewshire, Shaun Moore, t the statue of Paisley poet, Robert Tannahill

He said: “I suppose it’s a bit ironic that after I’d written a poem when I was in primary school in Pollok my teacher announced to everybody that I would become a poet and that didn’t go down well with me at all.

“The classroom even had a frieze on the wall showing what everyone was going to be when they grew up and the teacher had me down to be a poet and at the time, that’s not what I wanted to be doing when I became an adult.

“But despite that, I never lost my love of words.”

Times have certainly changed for Shaun, 55, who was this week named as Tannahill Makar.

Shaun was selected for the role after years of performing live poetry across the country at gigs, weddings and festivals where he learned the true power of spoken word.

Pictured: Shaun Moore with Provost Lorraine Cameron and OneRen’s Digital and Library Development Manager, Joyce Higgins

Eager to put these skills to use as poet laureate, he said: “I hope to show how everybody can appreciate words and language – whether it’s in the form of poetry, in books, or in the lyrics of songs.

“It’s important that people of all ages can appreciate the power of words and find that way of expressing feelings.”

Shaun, who now lives in Johnstone, will soon start performing at live events and visit schools in partnership with local charitable trust OneRen to give talks.

Renfrewshire provost Lorraine Cameron, who appointed Shaun to the role of Tannahill Makar for Renfrewshire, said: “We’re really looking forward to Shaun’s poems and performances and I’ve no doubt he will be very entertaining, as he takes up his role as the Tannahill Makar for Renfrewshire.”

Pictured: The new Tannahill Makar for Renfrewshire, Shaun Moore with left, Provost Lorraine Cameron and OneRen’s Digital and Library Development Manager, Joyce Higgins.

Joyce Higgins, digital and library development manager at OneRen, added: “They say that the pen is mightier than the sword and I’m sure Shaun’s words will give a strong and powerful message to everyone as through his poetry he relates the big events in Renfrewshire.”