We are delighted to announce the winners of our Poems for Peace competition for 11-18 year olds. Click the links below to read the poems:

• First Prize – Heather Glover for ‘Between Waves’. 17-18 years old King Edward VI School, Stratford Upon-Avon
• Second Prize – Halema Malak for ‘Leaving Afghanistan’, 16 years old, Oxford Spires Academy
• Third Prize – Alwiyah Qassim for ‘Looking to future generations’, 15 years old, Harris Academy Tottenham, London

Heather says that ‘this is a dream come true’; Halema says she ‘was really happy and can’t wait to tell her family’ and Alwiyah says she ‘feels so honoured to have won third place and hope to write more poetry in the future.’

“I’d like to thank all the young people who submitted their poems for sharing their voices and experiences with us. The range of interactions with peace was inspiring, from the peace family can bring, to remembrances of World War I; from poverty to the experience of migration or being a refugee. I’m excited to think of the work we can look forward to from these writers in the future.”
Molly Rosenberg, Director

We are also pleased to announce 17 Highly Commended entries:

• ‘Peace’ by Mohamed Assaf, 13 years old, Oxford Spires Academy
• ‘I am not Donald Trump’ by Angelina Borzini-Castor, 14-16 years old, Alexandra Park School, London
• ‘Not Pieces, Peace’ by Izzy Crane, 12 years old Oxford Spires Academy
• ‘tranquility’ by Ciéra Cree Drury, 18 years old, Norfolk
• ‘The Peace Effect’ by Olivia Darby, 12 years old, Willowfield School, London
• ‘A Tree In The Bloom’ by Sayandeep Das, 12 Years Old, King Edward’s School, Birmingham
• ‘A Polite Request’ by Rosie Lewis, 13 years old, Chelmsford County High School for Girls
• ‘The Snowdrop’ by Ambar Madhok, 13 years old, Wimbledon High School
• ‘War Poem’ by Haroon Malik, 14-16 years old, Southfield Grange Trust, Bradford
• ‘To My Future Child- December 2018’ by Tito Molokwu, 17 years old, Watford Grammar School For Girls
• ‘Hope’ by Tanushree Nag, 14 years old, Nonsuch High School For Girls, London
• ‘Flame’ by Tuan Nguyen, 17 years old, Oxford Spires Academy
• ‘Farewell’ by Jenny O’Gorman, 15 years old, George Watsons College, Edinburgh
• ‘Dulce bellum inexpertis’ by Diana Ozola, 14 -16 years old, Southfield Grange Trust, Bradford
• ‘Peace’ by Gwenllian Rees, 14-16 years old, Ysgol Calon Cymru, Builth Wells Campus
• ‘Last Year, This Year‘ by Waseem Sherzad, 17 years old, Oxford Spires Academy
• ‘the poetry is in the pity.’ by Felix Stokes, 18 years old, Dr Challoner’s High School, Buckinghamshire

Thank you to everyone who took part and wrote a poem. Our Director, Molly Rosenberg, enjoyed reading them all.