Friday, December 17, 2010

Old Possum's Children's Poetry Competition


“A delight to witness very young writers discovering the power and the joy of language.”*
The judges of the Old Possum’s Children’s Poetry Competition, led by Chair Roger McGough, have selected twelve children as winners of the Competition, with a further eight receiving high commendations. The judges awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes to children in two age groups (7-8 and 9-11).
This international Poetry Competition, now in its fifth year, is run by the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf, a poetry book club for young people run by the Poetry Book Society. To link with National Poetry Day on Thursday 7 October, children aged 7-11 were invited to submit poems on the theme of ‘Home’.
The partnership with the British Council boosted entries to the ‘International Learners’ category for children based outside the UK who are learning English as a foreign or second language. In total, well over 3,000 entries were received from schools and individual children worldwide, nearly a quarter of which were from 31 countries other than the UK.
*Roger McGough said:
“’Home' proved to be a fruitful subject for this year's crop of young poets and the judges relished those poems in which the child's imagination was let loose. More than attention to domestic detail, the sounds and smells, the furnishings, the judges relished those poems in which the child's imagination was let loose. Above all, it was a delight to witness very young writers discovering the power and the joy of language.”
The CPB held a wonderful gala celebration and prize-giving on Friday 10 December at the Drill Hall theatre in London, hosted by poets Roger McGough and James Carter, both of whom were also judges of the competition. The winning young poets were presented with their cash and book prizes and read their poems to an enthralled audience of friends, family, teachers and children from local schools. A booklet containing the children’s winning poems was given to every audience member. The winning poems are featured on the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf website at http://www.childrenspoetrybookshelf.co.uk/ and on the British Council’s website at http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/your-turn.
The Old Possum’s Children’s Poetry Competition is generously supported by Old Possum’s Practical Trust.

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