Poet Laureate to launch multilingual competition (From Leigh Journal)

Poet Laureate to launch multilingual competition

8:10am Friday 4th January 2013 in News

SCHOOL pupils could have their poetry included in a national anthology.

Later this month Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy will launch the multilingual Laureate Education Project, 'Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2013' at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The project involves a series of regional competitions, which will be split into two parts.

'Mother Tongue' will see children who do not have English as a first language write about what a lullaby, poem or song in their native language means to them. Then as part of 'Other Tongue' pupils will create an original poem in a second language that they are learning.

The competition is open to eight to 18 year-olds. Schools interested in taking part should contact Claudia Conerney on mtot@mmu.ac.uk.

The competition closing date is June 30, 2013. Schools will put forward a shortlist of 10 entries each to be judged, and the winners will have their work published in an anthology.

Entries will be judged by a panel of writers and language experts selected by Manchester Metropolitan University from both within and without the university.

All entrants will be invited to a public celebration event in October 2013 and Carol Ann Duffy will present winners with prizes.

The Poet Laureate said: “The competition is a unique opportunity for pupils whose first language is not English and those learning another language at school to showcase their creative and linguistic talents and to have their work published in an anthology.”

The competition will be run by Manchester Metropolitan University and Routes into Languages, in partnership with The Poetry Society, Scottish CILT, The Poetry Book Society and the Poetry Translation Centre.

For entry details visit www.mtot.org.uk