WARWICKSHIRE’s Young Poet Laureate 2022 has been crowned – and it’s a pupil from Kineton High School.
Emily Hunt wowed the judges with her stanzas and now has the opportunity to take part in events across the county under the mentorship of a professional poet.
The laureateship is open to anyone aged between 13 and 17 who lives, and is educated, in Warwickshire.
Past Warwickshire Young Poet Laureates have performed on the radio, on film, at festivals and led their own poetry workshops.
And this year’s winner, Emily, will be mentored by published and prize-winning poet and writer Brenda Read-Brown.
Emily was crowned Warwickshire’s Young Poet Laureate winner following a selection day at Rugby Library earlier this month. Four high calibre candidates took part in a workshop with award-winning poet and writer Steve Pottinger, who shared creative tips and advice about how to successfully deliver poetry performances.
The candidates then each took part in interviews and performed two of their own compositions in front of the judging panel. This included sharing their ideas about the Young Poet Laureate role.
The Young Poet Laureate competition is run by Warwickshire Libraries and supported by Poetry on Loan – an initiative supported by Arts Council England that promotes contemporary poetry throughout public libraries in the West Midlands.
Warwickshire County Council’s customer and transformation spokesman, Coun Andy Jenns, said: “Now in its eighth year, Warwickshire’s Young Poet Laureate scheme is a wonderful opportunity to inspire our younger generations to enjoy being immersed in the world of poetry reading, writing and performance. Over the years, our Laureates have inspired hundreds of young people with their love of poetry by leading workshops, appearing on film and radio and at festivals, and have helped to share the message that poetry is accessible to everyone.
“I am delighted that we are able to offer this opportunity with the continued support of Poetry on Loan and wish Emily a successful and exciting year as Young Poet Laureate 2022.”
For more information about the Young Poet Laureate scheme visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/youngpoetlaureate
