A great competition which had over 4000 entries this year from all over the world.
The awards and celebrations were held at The Unicorn Theatre in London on 14th December.
Children and parents mingled with poets and publishers.
Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate and chair of the judging panel said,
‘We left our meeting convinced that the true beginnings of poetry are to be found in writing by children.”
This international poetry competition, now in its fourth year, is run by Children’s Poetry Bookshelf, part of Poetry Book Society, in partnership with the British Council.
Lots of excited faces, as the winners joined judges John Agard, Roger Stevens and Carol Ann Duffy at the presentation. As well as the prizes there will be a commemorative booklet, in which winning and recommended poems will be featured.
It is available from Children’s Poetry Bookshelf, which is a great website as a resource and just good to read as well!
Some of the lines that have stayed with us are;
Men watching
Friends go forever
From A Soldier’s Poem by Louisa, aged 8.
And,
He is the blow of a whistle
That can be heard all over the world.
About Barack Obama by Sarah, aged 8.
Children’s writing has a way of finding the truth…..
Dolphin Booksellers – finding out more about books for children.
Papa Panov was an old shoemaker, who lived in a Russian village.
There’s also a CD which features Papa Panov as a story.
Calico Pie is the first CD produced. There are over 20 rhymes and songs, old favourites and new ones too, set to music by Paul Bradley using a melodica, glockenspiel, guitar and piano.