In The News

ITV Meridian News visited Claredon House Care Home to speak to our latest winners Colin and Avi and their friends. They did a wonderful job of explaining just why Poetry Together is so special, and how it can make such a difference to young and old.

We are thrilled with the response from this year’s Poetry Together. It launched with a showcase for Her Majesty The Queen and our partners at Fielding Primary School in Ealing at the end of August. This was quickly followed by a launch at The British Library where young and old from across the country experienced inspirational workshops from literary talents: Joseph Coelho, UK Children’s Laureate, Slam Poetry star, Steven Camden, aka Polarbear, and Jodie Russi-Red, Poet, Storyteller and Co-creation Manager at the British Library.

Since then, we have received over 400 fabulous poetry entries on the theme of ‘happiness’ - we’ve laughed, and we’ve cried! Award-winning author Lucy Cuthew helped us with the unenviable task of picking out some extra-special entries to receive prizes.

Inter-generational connection is at the heart of Poetry Together and we have been incredibly heartened to hear of all the get togethers that have taken place for hundreds of people from Southend to Shanghai. One school took 150 Year 2 students to a residential living community, while others used it as a good excuse to get to know their elderly neighbours better. Many of the schools have continued their relationships with their local care homes, visiting for Christmas carols and finding lots of other reasons to spend time together again.

Some beautiful stories of connection have emerged. We’ve been told of a resident in a care home with dementia who was once a schoolteacher and how a spark was reignited thanks to her interaction with the school children. Another school contacted us to tell us of a young boy who had a tough start in life. He had written a poem with his adoptive grandfather and the process had really helped to bring them together. We’ve also recently heard the sad news that a resident at one of the care home get togethers has recently passed away. The resident’s daughter wrote to the school to thank their Creative Writing Club for the poem they had written for their mother and let them know that her grandaughter had read it at her funeral. The school thanked Poetry Together for ‘prompting what has been a profoundly meaningful exchange’. This is what it is all about.

We can’t wait to get started again with Poetry Together 2024. We’re excited to see more brilliant poems from budding writers and to encourage more wonderful things that come from both ends of the generational spectrum, connecting, sharing poems and having a chat over a cup of tea.