ASTONISHING RESPONSE TO LICHFIELD’S FIRST POETRY FESTIVAL
Pens down everybody! Yep. That’s it. The deadline for our poetry competition - National Poetry Day - has been and gone - and we have seen an astonishing 1,017 poems entered!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a poem. We are truly grateful and can’t wait to start reading them!
Over 800 schoolchildren submitted poems on the theme of awe and wonder in the two younger categories, 7 -11 and 12-16 age groups, while over 200 17 – 25 year olds and the 26 and overs were inspired by the theme, light in our darkness.
It is the first time Lichfield Cathedral has run a poetry festival and competition and The Word is part of a year of creativity inspired by the Moon Landing anniversary.
Over the next month our judging panel will begin to shortlist the poems ahead of the final judging by multi award winning poet, writer, broadcaster and librettist, Michael Symmons Roberts who will announce the winners in the Cathedral at our prize giving grand finale on Thursday 28 November.
The winners, alongside seven others in each category will have their poem displayed in Lichfield Cathedral from the end of November until the early part of January.
The Word poetry festival at Lichfield Cathedral opens with Benjamin Zephaniah on Sunday 24 November. We have an exciting programme of events including poetry readings and creative writing workshops for all ages and abilities.
Programme details and how to buy tickets here