The winners of London Calling, the 2012 Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition, looked out onto spectacular views of their city from the Clifford Chance building in Canary Wharf as they received their awards. Presenting their prizes along with words of advice and encouragement was Carnegie award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean who emphasised the importance of reading for pleasure and libraries as vital factors in creating the best writers.
Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service this year expanded the annual competition to primary schools through their school librarians’ network, and young writers and poets from Bangabandhu, Blue Gate Fields Junior, Cayley, Globe, Hague, Lansbury Lawrence and St Paul with St Luke C of E Primary Schools were all in attendance.
This year, first prizes in poetry and short story categories went to Hannah Ramanathan and from St Paul with St Luke C of E Primary School, Sadia Qureshi and Farhana Iqbal from Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School, Summer Lewis from Morpeth School, and Kundai Sibanda from Sir John Cass’s Foundation and Redcoat Secondary School.
Pupils from Bow School of Maths and Computing, Central Foundation Girls’ Secondary School, and Stepney Green Maths and Computing College also won prizes for their work.
“The standard of writing was exceptional, and all of the schools gained a great deal from participating. It’s a pleasure to see such creativity emanating from schools. We are proud be to able to continue the work of Tower Hamlets secondary consultants and keep this competition going” said Gillian Harris, Head of Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service.
Winning entries will be published as the electronic book London Calling on the Amazon Kindle store, and at www.towerhamlets-sls.org.uk from Monday 25th June.
