Daisy Goodwin encouraged the young poets to continue their writing
Daisy Goodwin presents prizes at the Chiswick Book Festival. Picture: Roger Green
September 22, 2023
On Friday 8th September the Chiswick Book Festival once again held the prize-giving for the Young People's Poetry Competition 2023.
Thirteen years after it was originally set up the competition is still going strong stimulating creativity and writing skills in children and young people. The competition is open to all children in Years 3-7 from all areas. Prizes are awarded within each of the five year groups to ensure each age group is judged separately. Children are invited to write a poem at home, or at school, about whatever inspires them.
This year young poets entered from schools across the London area including: Ark Byron Primary Academy Acton, Chiswick & Bedford Park School, Dairy Meadow Primary School Southall, St Stephen’s Church of England Twickenham, Edge Grove Independent School Watford, Orchard House School Chiswick, Chiswick School, Southfield Primary School Chiswick, The Falcons School for Boys Chiswick, St Augustine's Priory Ealing, Eaton House The Manor School Clapham and Ravenscourt Preparatory School Chiswick .
The annual prize-giving, this year held at St Michael and All Angels Church, was as usual a buzzing event with a large audience of smiling prize winners and their families and teachers, all eager to hear about the winning poems and what made these poems shine out.
Judges were on hand on to greet the winners and congratulate them on their work.
Judges Carol Douglas, Susi Stanley-Caroll, and Nicola Kelly chose some of the winning poems to read out and lead judge, poet James Priestman recited some fascinating poems he had created, ingeniously comprised from lines from each of the winning poems.
The judges praised the quality and diversity of the entries. Many topics were covered: from the hopes, fears and laughter experienced on “My first residential “, the story of “The Dog with a Martian Roar “or the thrilling reveals in “No Way Out”.
The event was rounded off wonderfully by writer Daisy Goodwin, who has compiled several poetry anthologies.
Daisy spoke about the joys of poetry in her life (including some very funny anecdotes as to the usefulness of poetry in matters of the heart) and encouraged the young poets to continue their writing. Daisy gave out the prizes and certificates to each winner. The competition is sponsored by Chiswickw4.com and all the winners received a special Chiswick Book Festival certificate from ChiswickW4.com and a goody bag of gorgeous books.
The winners, and commendations from all the year groups are listed below and the winning poems are being displayed in Waterstone's for a limited time only, on Chiswick High Road.
2023 Chiswick Book Festival Poetry Competition winners
Year / Prize/ Winner |
Tiitle |
Year 3 |
|
1st |
|
Aian Currimjee |
Sibling Escape |
2nd |
|
Laurie Johnson |
Hamster Wheel |
3rd |
|
Blue Roberts |
I Can Rhyme |
Commendation |
|
Romy Scott |
The Store full of magical things |
Year 4 |
|
1st |
|
Layla Badat |
My first ever residential |
2nd |
|
Sylvie Leyburn |
Down at the Quay |
3rd |
|
Atlas Devrimoz |
When I Grow Up |
Commendation |
|
Kiersten Galliers |
Sandy Beaches |
Riyan Mahamed |
Escape War |
Year 5 |
|
1st |
|
Xander Ong |
Migration |
2nd |
|
Albie Frayling |
Lest we Forget |
3rd |
|
Lara Wilson |
The Dog with the Martian Roar |
Commendation |
|
Alexandra Stefanova Doheva |
Sandals |
Lora Nedyalkova |
Down Went the Bird |
Madeleine Crane |
Ice |
Year 6 |
|
1st |
|
Martha Garistina |
The Queen of the Night |
Rehaan Sankar |
Its Catching |
2nd |
|
Molly Young |
Once Upon a Time |
3rd |
|
Hailey Kan |
The Escape |
Krish Kumar |
Football 2 |
Commendation |
|
Hargun Brar |
Football 1 |
Hunarpreet Brab |
The invisible family |
Sophie de Vise-Craig |
Me, Myself and I |
Year 7 |
|
1st |
|
Lila Price |
The Unseen |
Pixie Pakenham |
No Way Out |
2nd |
|
Sophia Bani |
Escape (2) 7 |
Zoe Christie |
Flatlining |
3rd |
|
Mayla Carbonell McBain |
Escape, Wonder and Live |
Commendation |
|
Chloe Hunt |
Freedom |
Subhan Tanoli |
Escape 6 |
|
|
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