Pupils’ ‘vivid, heartfelt’ poems for Creative Manchester and Centre for New Writing competition praised

A love of poetry was kindled in school children from Manchester who participated in the third annual schools poetry competition, organised by Creative Manchester and founded by Prof John McAuliffe of The University of Manchester’s Centre for New Writing (CNW).

Students from CNW worked alongside local school pupils to help them to develop their poetry writing skills, with the results leading to a competition and awards Celebration Day on 2 July 2019 at the Martin Harris Centre.

There, pupils who had been recognised for their exceptional written works received prizes and were invited to read their poems, which this year were based on the theme of ‘culture’.

Now in its third year, PhD students from the CNW launched the competition for pupils at Whalley Range High School, Levenshulme High and the East Manchester Academy on World Poetry Day, with students spending several weeks mentoring pupils and providing them with support while crafting their poems.

The poems were personal, in-depth, and expressive and utilised a range of skilled poetic devices, thanks to the confidence and knowledge of their University of Manchester mentors, whose works were also celebrated on 2 July.

“Poetry is the oldest art and still speaks uniquely to way we make paths for ourselves into the world,” said John McAuliffe. “It has been brilliant to see again this year the work developed by students at these schools. Vivid, heartfelt, powerful poems, and delivered by the students so affectingly in the University's concert hall. We are delighted to be able to support these student writers and to bring them and their work into the university."