Above: Last Year’s Young Poets with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and Mayor Tracy Brabin

By KLTV Newsdesk –

KS2 and KS3 pupils invited to share their voices and represent their regions through poetry

Young poets across the country are being encouraged to put pen to paper as submissions open for the Young Poet Laureate Programme, a national initiative celebrating children and young people with a passion for words.

A Platform for Young Voices

The programme is open to KS2 and KS3 students, offering an exciting opportunity to become their region’s Young Poet Laureate and inspire others through poetry.

In total, 12 young poets will be appointed to the prestigious role.

Successful laureates will receive one-to-one mentoring with professional poets, alongside publication and performance opportunities, commissioned writing work and the chance to join a national network championing poetry in schools and communities.

Recognition Beyond the Laureates

Up to 120 shortlisted poets will also be celebrated.

Their work will be published in a special anthology, and they will be invited — along with a member of school staff — to attend a regional masterclass taking place between April and May.

These events will include poetry workshops with professional poets, goody bags and a final performance in front of the judging panel.

How to Apply

Entries must be submitted by a member of school staff via the application form on the Young Poet Laureate webpage.

Each student should submit one document containing:

• A short personal statement explaining why they would like to be a Young Poet Laureate for their region (maximum 200 words)
• One original poem on any topic (maximum 40 lines)

The closing date for submissions is Monday 19 January.

Supporting Poetry in Schools

The Young Poet Laureate Programme is created by the National Poetry Centre in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, and is supported by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

The programme aims to give children and young people meaningful opportunities to explore, enjoy and share poetry within their schools and local communities.

For full details and to submit entries, visit: Young Poet Laureate | National Literacy Trust.