The Autumn Poetry Competition attracted a bumper 467 entries this year, making it one of the largest numbers of entries received since the competition was introduced nearly 10 years ago.

This afternoon, the poetry competition winners, starting from school years four and five, right through to adults were invited to the John Mackintosh Hall as the winners were announced.

The yearly competition is judged by former Westside School English teachers Charles Durante and Conchita Triay, and is organised by the Ministry of Culture, together with Gibraltar Cultural Services and the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Commenting on the competition Minister for Culture Steven Linares said: “The Poetry Competition gives another dimension to culture and adds a literary aspect to Government autumn cultural programme. I am extremely pleased with the high number of entries, but more importantly, with the quality of the entries.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in this venture, including the Gibraltar Chronicle, the Department of Education and especially the adjudicators Charles Durante and Conchita Triay.

“However, I would like especially to thank the many individuals who put pen to paper and in doing so allowed us to enjoy their excellent work.”

Mr Durante read out a poem by the Japanese Haiku poet Matsuo Basho, and said the poem encapsulates the whole world, adding that poetry is like that, that the meaning can be compressed in a few words and a few lines.

Mr Durante added: “Choosing a winner was not an easy task. It was an arduous task and it took a lot of sweat to make sure we got the right people winning the prizes.

“Not only the numbers went up, but also the quality was excellent, and we were impressed with the quality of the entries, and we were particularly impressed with the years 8-11 entries.”

The Prize winners are:

Overall Winner Levi Attias - “A Child - Not A Bride”

Runner-Up
 Jackie Anderson – “In Life’s Morning”

Highly Commended  Samuel Benady – “Ballad of Literary Progress”

Highly Commended Christopher Pitaluga – “The Run”

Highly Commended Peter Schirmer – “Glimpses Of A Year Remembered”

Winner Spanish Category Bathsheba Peralta - “Luna de Verano”

Winner School Years 4 – 5 Mia Hook, St Anne’s Middle School, “Dance Is My Life”

Runner Up:
Eva Nieboe, Loreto Convent – “Autumn Poem”

Highly Commended: Leila Debono, St Joseph’s Middle School - “My Dolphin Dream”

Winner School Years 6 – 7: Angelika Bosco, St Joseph’s Middle School, “September Morn”

Runner Up: Jai Wilson-Smith, St Joseph’s Middle School – “Super Senses of a Special Thinker”

School

Winner School Years 8 – 11: Carmen Anderson, Westside School – “On the Boards”

Runner Up: Sheridan Povedano, Westside School – “Nostalgia”

Highly Commended: Kerry Edmunds, Westside School – “Endless Rhythm”

Winner School Years 12 – 13: Louis Emmitt-Stern, Westside School – “Portrait”

Runner Up: Ana Sharma, Westside School – “A Poem To A Lost Love”

Highly Commended: Alan George-Wszeborowski, Bayside School - “What it is to be Mute”

The Overall winner received a £300 cash prize and a trophy whilst the entry for the Best Poem in the Spanish language received a £50 cash prize and a trophy donated by the Ministry of Culture.

The winners in each school year category also received a trophy donated by the Ministry of Culture, as well as a £50 voucher and a pen kindly donated by the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Entries obtaining Runner-up Prizes and Highly Commended received their corresponding certificates from the Ministry for Culture and a pen also kindly donated by the Gibraltar Chronicle.

The poems and comments from the judges will be published in the Chronicle as from Friday.

{fcomment}