A year 7 student at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy has been shortlisted for the National Literacy Trust’s Young Poet Laureate competition following a highly competitive national selection process.
Jessica was selected from more than 1,100 entries submitted by schools across the UK. Only 120 young poets were shortlisted, with just 10 selected within her category, reflecting the exceptionally high standard required.
Her work was recognised for its clarity of voice, creativity and maturity, placing her among a small group of young writers chosen for the prestigious programme. The chosen 12 Young Poet Laureates will be announced and appointed in June.
Following her shortlisting, Jessica attended a performance masterclass at Birmingham Library, delivered by professional poets and representatives from the National Literacy Trust’s Young Poet Laureate programme. The event brought together selected young writers and performers from across the Midlands, drawn from a national cohort of more than 130,000 students in over 1,000 schools.
The session focused on developing performance and writing skills, with participants sharing their work in a series of live readings. Jessica presented her poem ‘Finding Shadows’, which will be published in an upcoming anthology produced by the National Literacy Trust.
Associate Principal, Hannah Percival, commented: “Jessica’s success reflects far more than individual talent. Opportunities like this are central to how we support and nurture students to become confident writers who can think independently, take creative risks and find their own voice.
“Experiences with national programmes of this scale give students a real sense of what their writing can achieve beyond the classroom, and that has a lasting impact on their confidence, aspiration and academic development. We are extremely proud of the way Jessica has embraced that opportunity and represented the Academy.”
The Young Poet Laureate programme, created by the National Poetry Centre in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and supported by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, aims to celebrate young writers and promote poetry as a creative form of expression. It also seeks to support literacy development, confidence and creativity among children and young people aged 7 to 14.
The Academy said it was delighted to celebrate Jessica’s success and remains committed to providing opportunities that broaden students’ experiences and strengthen creativity, literacy and academic ambition.
Finding Shadows
I leant to look for shadows
Not where the light is loud
But where it softens
And learns to listen.
They hide under chairs of memories
Behind a spine of a book,
In the pause between two breaths
I almost didn’t take.
A shadow is not the dark-
It’s proof of light nearby,
A quiet signature saying
Someone stood here once.
I find them stretching at dusk,
Longer than fear, thinner than doubt
Teaching me that absence
Still has a shape.
And when I gather them gently,
They point me back to the sun
Without ever asking me
To stop being human.
