Tomos Roberts
| Tomos Roberts | |
|---|---|
_-_Probably_Tomfoolery_Ltd.jpg) | |
| Born | Tomos Roberts 1994 (age 29–30) Auckland, New Zealand |
| 🏳️ Nationality | New Zealander |
| Other names | Probably Tomfoolery |
| 🏫 Education | English Literature and Drama |
| 🎓 Alma mater | University of Manchester[citation needed] |
| 💼 Occupation |
|
| 🏢 Organization | Probably Tomfoolery Ltd., Odds On Productions |
| Known for | Spoken word poetry |
| Notable work | The Great Realisation |
| 🌐 Website | probablytomfoolery |
Tomos Roberts (born 1994) is a London-based poet and filmmaker. In March 2020, Roberts released his spoken word poem, The Great Realisation. Later that year, it was published as a children's picture book.
Roberts posts online under the nom de plume, Probably Tomfoolery.[1]
Early life and education[edit]
Roberts was born in New Zealand in 1994.[1][2][3] When he was seven he was diagnosed as being highly dyslexic, which meant writing had been a severe challenge for him throughout his education. Roberts attended Ellesmere College where he was a prefect.[4] He went on to University where he graduated with an BA in history.
Career[edit]
Roberts had intended once he graduated to enlist in the army, as he consider that dyslexia would not present a problem there. However, his application was declined because of his dyslexia. In 2015, Roberts, now in his early twenties, began to write. His first short stories The Horse Lord and Rose’s Story, and a novel The Games, received encouragement from family and friends.[5][6] His efforts gained him a local award, The pride of Shropshire - learner award, the same year for overcoming his disability.[7]
Works[edit]
Spoken word poetry[edit]
In 2020, Roberts created several spoken word poetry pieces. His most notable being The Great Realisation which is a video of a poem within a story that Roberts wrote and released online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The poem has been translated into several other languages including Japanese and Arabic. Within a week of its release it had been viewed 30 million times on various internet platforms.[1][8][9] By October 2020 The Great Realisation had been turned into a book, illustrated by the Japanese illustrator Namoco.[10]
As part of an interview by the Evening Standard about The Great Realisation, Roberts shared the text of his new poem The Poet Says Be Hopeful, in conjunction with an online release. Readers were then encouraged to submit a video of themselves reciting the poem. Contributors ranged from strangers to a handful of celebrities.[11][12]
Another poem by Roberts, While You Were Sleeping, was performed as part of a 24-hour fundraising event to benefit Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans frontières), Dubai Cares, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and other organisations supporting COVID-19 front-line workers.[11]
Roberts also created The Night My Street Started Clapping as an ode to the UK's National Health Services. It was created in response to an ITV News London initiative which asked a few London-based poets, including Roberts, to describe how their city is coping with the coronavirus crisis.[13]
Publications[edit]
Roberts' childrens book, The Great Realisation, was published in 2020 by Egmont Books and HarperCollins.[14]
Films[edit]
Roberts and Nassim Mniai produced the film, Hilda that premiered at the Raindance Film Festival (London) in 2019.[15] The film earned Roberts and Mniai a nomination for the 2019 BIFA Breakthrough Producer long list.[16]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Krug, Nora (14 May 2020). "The story behind 'The Great Realisation,' a post-pandemic bedtime tale that has captured the hearts of millions". The Washington Post.
- ↑ O'Flynn, Niamh (8 May 2020). "The Great Realisation, by Tom Foolery". Greenpeace.
- ↑ Kirkness, Luke; Trafford, Will (5 May 2020). "Covid-19 coronavirus: Kiwi poet Tomos Robertson (aka Tom Foolery) and the fairytale video that's gone viral". The New Zealand Herald.
- ↑ Ellersmerian 3009, page 11, retrieved 25 January 2021
- ↑ A message from Tomos Roberts - author of The Horse Lord and Rose's Story, retrieved 25 January 2021
- ↑ Local author a role model for dyslexia sufferers, retrieved 25 January 2021
- ↑ Video and pictures of Pride of Shropshire winners 2015, retrieved 25 January 2015
- ↑ "Covid-19 millions find message of hope in Kiwi's viral poem". Radio New Zealand. 10 May 2020.
- ↑ "Kiwi poets viral fairytale strikes chord Holloway]". Otago Daily Times. 6 May 2020.
- ↑ "Tomas Roberts NZ born poet on his viral fairytale". Newstalk ZB. 3 October 2020.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Strick, Katie (29 May 2020). "Great Realisation poet Tomos Roberts wants help of ES readers for exclusive video". Evening Standard.
- ↑ Strick, Katie (17 July 2020). "Watch Phillip Schofield and 250 Evening Standard readers perform Tom Roberts's pandemic poem". Evening Standard.
- ↑ "A poetic view of how London is coping with the coronavirus crisis". ITV News. 2 April 2020.
- ↑ "The Great Realization". Kirkus. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ↑ Pelham, Rishi (24 October 2019). "Interview with Rishi Pelham, Director of HILDA". Raindance Film Festival (Interview). Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ↑ "New Talent Long Lists 2019". British Independent Film Awards. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
External links[edit]
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