This term, Heart of England students have had considerable success in creativity in writing with competition winners and publication of work by several students.
First congratulations go to Year 7 student Isobel Keeling who wrote a thoughtful piece about the expectations of gender entitled You Should… published in a collection called Empowered 2022 – Shining Stars.
You Should…
You should try to be less bossy, they say.
Try to be less loud.
You’re too opinionated, they say.
Just try to quieten down.
Does my sassiness upset you?
My intelligence cause you gloom?
You can do anything a man does, they cry!
As long as you’re the quietest in the room.
I will not make myself small,
And I’m not here to make you proud.
My gender is irrelevant,
I am here and I am loud.
Although I may stand alone,
In the darkness, I’ll be the light.
For gender equality,
Strongly I will fight.
For the future, I send hope to all,
And courage for their fight.
Because even if things are wrong,
You can always make them right.
Isobel Keeling
Talking about her poem Isobel said: “The poem is my thoughts about how we are ‘taught’ to be girls, about the expectations about how girls should behave and the things they are ‘supposed’ to like.
“I’m very happy it was chosen for publication.”
The poem has been published on the Young Writers website. Young Writers run a series of national writing competitions for poetry and creative writing throughout the academic year. Every entry is read and evaluated by the editorial team and work is selected for publication based on perception, imagination, expression, creativity and use of language. The pieces are compiled into books and on the Young Writers website.
Winners receive a prize and are put through to the next round of the competition if there are further rounds. Our winners have had their prizes awarded.
Commenting on Isobel’s win, Lynsey from Young Writers said: “Congratulations to your school for having a winner chosen from over 9,000 entrants – it really is an amazing achievement.”
Further Success
Two other students, Ava and Remeya have also been successful winners in the Young Writer’s Empowered competition and are due to have their work published.
“We have some great talent in our school and I encourage our students to keep writing and entering this great competition!” said English Teacher Miss Goodwin.
A further competition entitled Twisted Tales- A New Point of View… is still open with a deadline of 22 July.