Schools Poetry Competition 2024: Winners Revealed
05 Jul 2024
The eighth annual edition of our Schools Poetry Competition invited pupils from across Greater Manchester to pen a verse, and the winning entries have been chosen.
The competition, held annually by The Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester, encourages children to use poetry as a means of self-expression. This year’s theme, inspired by the annual Great Science Share for Schools, was ‘Sustainable Science’.
Led by Professor of Poetry and Director of Creative Manchester, John McAuliffe, and Lecturer in Poetry and Creative Writing Project Manager, Dr Chad Campbell, judges awarded several prizes to pupils from Whalley Range High School, Stretford Grammar School, Levenshulme High School, The East Manchester Academy and Burnage Academy for Boys.
The judges assessed the poems and were looking for unique takes on the theme, effective imagery, innovative use of form, and creative command of language.
Chad Campbell commented:
“Each year it is such a pleasure to engage with Greater Manchester students and be freshly inspired and compelled by their brilliant poems and creativity. The poems touched on the challenges facing our planet and were struck through with passion, hope, and courage. The students, the teachers who support them, have given us another wonderful round of the University of Manchester’s Schools Poetry Competition.”
Congratulations to all the first, second and third place winners, plus honourable mentions:
Whalley Range High School
First Prize: Gaynat Kanash – ‘Standing by Myself with Opened Hands’
Second Prize: Aimen Zubair – ‘Unconventional Minds’
Stretford Grammar School
First Prize: Talia Kanadil – ‘The Perspective of a Tree’
Second Prize: Diana Curioni – ‘Dual Fields’
Third Prize: Gabriellah Rezai – ‘Fertile Apocalypse’
Highly Commended: Lucy Edge – ‘Ingredients to a Perfect Planet’
Highly Commended: Arisha Choudhury – ‘Dreams of a Sapling’
Levenshulme High School
First Prize: Amber Iqbal – ‘We are Losing the Animals’
Second Prize: Noor Shamkh – ‘World Earth Day’
Third Prize: Minahil Arfan – ‘There Was a Hole in the Sea’
Highly Commended: Norah Al-Mohsin – ‘The Time Portal’
Highly Commended: Umaima Saeed – ‘Back in Time’
The East Manchester Academy
First Prize: Usman – ‘Sustainable Science’
Second Prize: Rivah – ‘Beyond the Trees’
Third Prize: Thomas – ‘In the Symphony of Nature’s Song’
Highly Commended: Koko – ‘Imagine’
Highly Commended: Brandon – ‘Science’
Burnage Academy for Boys
First Prize: Mohamed Nassar – ‘The Time Capsule/As I Was Joyfully’
Second Prize: Muhammad Dawood Zeeshan – ‘The Time Capsule / An Eyecatching Sight’
Second Prize: Izaan Ali – ‘Giving a Voice’
Third Prize: Wasi Urrehman – ‘Giving A Voice / No, Don’t Chop Us Down!’
Highly Commended: Jawad Khan – ‘Everyone Should Help’
Highly Commended: Raihan Ahamed – ‘You Tell Me!’
Highly Commended: Taha Aaiser – ‘Giving a Voice / I am the Forest’
Highly Commended: Yousaf Shakir – ‘People Can Go’
Highly Commended: Zachiraya Alam – ‘2069’