We are delighted to announce our Poetry Together 2023 winners

Congratulations to Avi, 9 from Buckingham Primary School and Colin, 91 who were revealed as our winners on ITV’s This Morning.

And our runners-up…

They each received a £250 book voucher.

Tameside Young Carers

Wilson's School

The Derby High School and The Grundy

Stow-on-the-Wold Primary School

Powell's School

Orchid Vale Primary School

Netley Primary School and Esther Randall Court residents

Kilrea Primary School

Humphrey Booth Resource Centre with students from Moorside High School

Bowfell House and St Monica's Primary School 

Barton Primary School and residents from Newport Residential Care Home

Wisbech Grammar School and residents from Goodwins Hall Care Home

Saint John Henry Newman RC College and Chadderton Total Care Unit

St Martin at Shouldham C of E VA Primary who visited Shouldham Care Home

Jill Booker

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.

The Challenge…

Every year, we encourage young people through schools and clubs to partner with the older generation in their local communities through care homes and elderly organisations - either side can take the lead. We ask that they get together to perform poems for one another, over tea and cake. There will also be a writing competition and opportunities to attend a Poetry Together event with workshops from inspirational authors and poets.

Register your interest and you’ll be among the first to know about this year’s plans.

Gyles Brandreth

“With young children, engaging with poetry helps with language skills in all sorts of ways. Studies have shown that learning poetry by heart improves performance academically at school, improving concentration, and even supporting better sleep.

For adults, evidence shows that learning poetry by heart can give you a happier and more successful life. It improves the ability to communicate and strengthen relationships, improves memory, increases brain capacity and can help keep dementia at bay. It’s amazing stuff really. Learning poetry together changes lives!

The project is a wonderful way to bring communities closer. We don’t need science to explain how special it can be when people from two ends of the generational spectrum get together and have a chat over a cup of tea.”

Find a poetry partner!

Finding a poetry partner is simple - have a look in your local area for a school or care home, and get in touch with them directly to see if they’re interested in the project. The map shows all the participants that have signed up for Poetry Together

As featured by

 
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Poetry Together is delighted to have the support of Queen Camilla.

Her Majesty has joined us for some of our recitals, and even performed a poem herself!

Official partner of National Poetry Day.

National Poetry Day is a UK-wide celebration of poetry taking place on the first Thursday in October each year.


Follow all the fun!