Congratulations to Year 12 Stratford Girls’ Grammar School A-Level English Literature student Annabel Peet who has been selected as Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate 2018. Attending the final of the county led competition at Shire Hall on January 20th Annabel performed two of her own poems ‘Is It My Body?’ and ‘To Warwickshire’ before an invited audience including local M.P Matt Western and the town Mayor. Annabel was shortlisted along with fellow pupil Evelyn Byrne (Year 10) who was commended for her precocious poetry talent. Both girls spent the morning of the competition working alongside former Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane who gave the girls some top tips for poetry in performance. “He was incredible to work with, “Annabel comments, “He made us understand the relationships between performance and meaning. I never knew so much could be said with a full stop!”

Annabel, who has been writing poetry for many years began her creative journey after listening to the wise words of her Granny, Caro. “She always told me to use poetry like a form of diary – and I’ve held to that ever since.” A joint leader of SGGS’s flourishing Young Writers’ Group, Annabel is looking forward to taking up her literary mantle. She will be working with Warwickshire Libraries to deliver workshops throughout the coming year as well as being commissioned to write her own verse.

Not content with performing before one audience Annabel also took to the stage of Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on January 22^nd to read another of her poems ‘Where Your Soul Sits’ before an audience of over 2000 students at The Poetry Live Event. As a winner of the Simon Powell poetry competition (2017) the sixteen year old from Hampton Magna rubbed shoulders with literary giants Carol Ann Duffy, Simon Armitage and Gillian Clarke. “It was amazing to perform my poem on the same stage as them. I was nervous but it was a fantastic experience.”

Head of English at the grammar school, Emma Litterick said, “We wish Annabel luck with her new role as Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate and look forward to hearing more about her poetic adventures.”