We were delighted to host an award ceremony as part of Medway River Lit for the inaugural Medway Youth Laureate scheme.
The poets were challenged to write a poem about the weather, because that relates to the theme of the festival.
Anne-Marie was privileged to present certificates and prizes (a book token and book generously provided by Medway Council's Climate Response Team, plus books from publishers Crystal Peake and Wordsmithery,) to our first Laureates.
The Laureates then read their winning poems to an appreciative audience.
You can see their poems as part of 'The Weather Where You Are' poetry exhibition at Chatham Library during the festival. You can also read them in a previous blog, and we'll be making them into limited edition postcards too, which will be available at Chatham Library in about a week!
Lydia has a passion for poetry and music. She has won two other prestigious poetry competitions: the Simon Powell Poetry Competition and the Rainham Poetry Festival Competition. Currently, Lydia is working on her own poetry anthology. In addition to writing, she plays both the flute and the piano and enjoys singing in her spare time.
Indigo has always had a passion for literature, but only began writing early last year - they have been working on various projects each day since. They focus on poetry and prose, often relating to LGBTQ issues and views on mental health. They also love fiction podcasts and watching films with their best friend.
Jessica enjoys listening and performing rap music. She also loves to bake and runs a small business. She really likes murder mysteries and her favourite author is Robin Stevens.
Should funding allow, we hope to be able to run a year-long mentorship scheme for our Laureates starting next year, so watch this space! Well done, Laureates, we're so proud of you!
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