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Judges’ praise for poetry entries

Winners: Alys Webber, Devine Easton, Isabella Wright, Grace McNamara and Jahlae Albuoy. Missing is Keishaun Samuels.

You could say, the winners of this year’s annual Youth Library Teen Advisory Board poetry contest had the competition all locked up.Alys Webber, of Saltus Grammar School, won the 11 to 13 age category, and Jahlae Albuoy, of Berkeley Institute, won the 14 to 18 category in the competition. They both took the theme of being Locked in a Box, as the inspiration for their poems.“This year we had 82 entries,” said Marla Smith, the Youth Library Youth Services Librarian. “What impressed me most was that we had a range of poetry from free verse to haiku.”Students were given four themes to write their poems around, Spring, Locked in a Box, New Student, and Friday.“Even though there were entries from several different themes, the majority wrote on the theme of Locked in a Box,” said Ms Smith. “It was amazing the depth of thought that came from the entries, and some very deep feelings were expressed. This made it challenging for the judges to choose the most outstanding ones.“I believe that poetry is a method by which our young people can have a voice, and having open mics, and slams, are ways to give our young people an outlet to really express themselves, and share what they think. It also gives us a chance to really listen.”Other winners in the 11 to 13 category included Bermuda High School for Girls pair, Isabella Wright in second place, and Grace McNamara, who was third.In the 14 to 18 category Keishaun Samuels and Devine Easton of Berkeley Institute took second and third place, respectively.Prizes included gift certificates, participation certificates, and goodie bags.The Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a volunteer programme for young people, ages 14 to 18 years of age. TAB is a lobby group who are interested in developing and advising the Youth Library on teen programmes.They help to promote and participate in activities that will encourage young people to read, use the library, and generally promote literacy throughout the Island. For more information, call 295-0487.