East Cardiff Schoolchildren Invited On Poetic Journey

Young wordsmiths in the east of the city are once again being encouraged to get creative to celebrate National Poetry Month this month. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Following the success of the Llanrumney Hub poetry competition last year, children at Key Stage 2 in schools in the east of the city are invited to pen a poem on the theme of journeys. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cardiff branch libraries in the east of the city have teamed up to organise the competition and encourage children aged 7 to 11 to get involved. The young poets can choose the style of their writing and the poem can be based on a journey to school, to a place they love or about a transition or change in their life. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

London-based poet, Lewis Buxton, will be delivering some poetry workshops in schools, along with the Neighbourhood Development Librarian, Katherine Whittington. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Entrants must live in the CF3 post code and poems should not be longer than 500 words. The deadline for the competition entries is Saturday, May 28 and the winner will be announced at a special event on Friday, June 3, details of which will be publicised on the St Mellons Hub Facebook page. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Submissions should include the child’s name, age, school, post code and parental contact details and can be handed in to Llanrumney Hub, Rumney Partnership Hub or St Mellons Hub, or emailed to stmellonshub@cardiff.gov.uk ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Neighbourhood Development Librarian in Cardiff East hubs, Katherine Whittington, said: “We held a poetry competition in the east of the city last year and it was a great success, so this year, during National Poetry Month, we are opening the competition up wider to all pupils at Key Stage 2 in the area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We had some excellent entries last year and the children had obviously put lots of effort into their poems. We’re hoping that children will be inspired to put their thoughts and ideas on the theme of journeys into verse and that even more children will take part this year. We’ll have some great prizes up for grabs and details will be revealed shortly.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rumney Partnership Hub has also teamed up with ECLP Communities First to run a new Creative Writing Club for children aged nine to 12 where they can read, write and share their ideas and stories, opening up their imaginations and expanding their skills. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The free club takes place every Wednesday from 4pm to 5pm. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Libraries will also be starting to promote our Summer Reading Challenge soon, so watch out for Roald Dahl themed events coming your way! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​