TALENTED Malvern youngster Amelie Simon has been crowned the county’s 2023/24 young poet laureate after wowing judges with her work.
Amelie impressed the judges with her exceptional writing skills and ability to convey powerful emotions through her poetry.
She will take part in projects throughout the year such as leading poetry workshops, having her work published, and performing at events and festivals.
Other top poets included Bethany Lunney, who won in the year six to eight category, and Evie West, who scooped the first prize in the year nine to 11 age group.
The young poet laureate competition takes place every year and aims to encourage youngsters to express themselves through poetry while showcasing their talents.
Before showing off their poems in front of a panel of judges at the Hive, the 12 finalists were given an online coaching session with tips on how to perform.
Elaine Knight, Arts Director, Severn Arts added: “The standard of entries was really high, and we would like to thank everyone for taking part this year.
“The competition provides a wonderful opportunity for young poets to express their views creatively. We were really pleased with the number of schools and young people that got involved this year.
“We’re looking forward to sharing the anthology of the poems soon and to working with our new Young Poet Laureate over the coming year.”
Visit https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/read-and-discover/young-poet-laureate to read Amelie’s winning poems ‘Ascension’ and ‘Spacetime is shaped like a railway track’.
