My Experience of the Thomas Chatterton Society Illustrated Poetry Competition

It all started in one normal English lesson. The class entered grumpily on the miserable winter’s day, but were soon woken up by the mention of a £200 prize. We listened eagerly to the instructions all hoping to gain such an award. Everyone was inspired and began scribbling notes on paper and planning their works.

By the end of the lesson everyone, including myself, seemed satisfied with their achievements so far. There was much enthusiastic chit-chat amongst our set over the next few lessons and we all went home excited about adding the finishing touches and drawings to our poems. I enjoyed both experiences immensely and loved the idea of combining both creative areas to form one extremely individual piece. The next lesson we handed in our efforts and awaited the verdict.

Almost every lesson one class mate would ask “Sir, any news on the poems yet?” Of which the reply was always “No, not yet.” This continued until one Saturday morning when people started receiving envelopes telling them they had been shortlisted and inviting them to the prize-giving. Everyone was incredibly excited and was congratulating each other, and once again the talk of Mr Morris’ English set focused around the Thomas Chatterton Poetry Competition.

Normal life continued and everyone had a relaxing weekend, showing parents the invites and receiving best wishes. On Monday morning I was invited into my House Masters study and was told the exhilarating news that I had been asked to go onto the radio. I was told the details and, the next morning, I was at the BBC Bristol radio station with 30 minutes to go till my big appearance on the radio. My family were listening and I was ready to go, we entered the studio and began the interview. It was a thrilling experience, a St Ursula’s student and I had a chance to read our poems and there was also an interview with the Secretary of the Society.

I went back to school and passed through the day, unable to stop thinking about the event coming up this evening. Eventually the much awaited occasion arrived and my family and I headed over to the Thistle Hotel. We were entertained by two very interesting speeches and afterwards the prize-giving began. Everyone was told we would have our poems put into an exhibition and that our poems would also be published. The prizes were given out, I was lucky enough to win third place and another Cliftonian, Katie McInally, received second. It was a great evening and the whole experience was one that I will never forget.

I would like to finish with thanking Mr Morris for entering us and also the Thomas Chatterton Society for organising the whole competition. Finally I would like to congratulate the other seven Cliftonians who made the shortlist.