Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services

Tag: Creative Writing

  • Creative Writing Competition 2017

    Creative Writing Competition 2017

    grant_png_black

    The book!

    We’re pleased to announce that the This is My Dream paperback edition is now available!

    The Winners…

    winners 2017

    The winners of the 2017 creative writing competition, pictured with judges Sufiya Ahmed and Nadine Kaadan,

    The final decisions were very difficult to make considering the quality of the work, inspired no doubt by the writing workshops.

    Along with work by the Syrian prize-winners, their stories and poems will be published in paperback this year, with the book launch taking place at the Write Idea festival in November.

    View winners

    KS4 Short StoryCommendedAyat Muhammad Al-KilisAl-Tafawq School, Syria

    KS2 Poetry 1st & Best in school Zarah Gaffar Halley Primary School
    KS2 Poetry 2nd Samiul Miah Bonner Primary School
    KS2 Poetry 3rd & Best in school Ajwad Munthasir Marner Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Commended & Best in school Soraya Mahmood Guardian Angels Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Commended Lewis Palmer Guardian Angels Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Commended Ubayd Ibnzafar Halley Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Commended & Best in school Jemima Workneh St Elizabeth Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Commended & Best in school Shahana Islam Stebon Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Commended Judy Hatim Yehia Al-Mahdatha School, Syria
    KS2 Poetry Best in school Lauren Percy Chisenhale Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Best in school Marwa Aya Zaouchi Osmani Primary School
    KS2 Poetry Best in school Kyra Davis Wellington Our Lady and St Joseph Primary School
    KS2 Short Story 1st Aya Al-Hasaba Al-Hashimya School, Syria
    KS2 Short Story 2nd & Best in school Aoife Griffin Saint Annes Primary School
    KS2 Short Story 3rd & Best in school Ren Logan Bonner Primary School
    KS2 Short Story Commended Anastacia Scedrin Marner Primary School
    KS2 Short Story Best in school Safiyah Raynor Old Palace Primary School
    KS2 Short Story Best in school Ramisa Begum Blue Gate Fields Junior School
    KS2 Short Story Best in school May Braidwood St Saviours Primary School
    KS2 Short story Best in school Raya Hussain Cayley Primary School
    KS2 Short story Best in school Alfie Shields St Pauls Whitechapel Primary School
    KS2 Short story Commended Afnan Ahmed Al- A’amar Syria
    KS2 Short story Commended Muhammad Mahmoud Sobhyia  Syria
    KS2 Short story Commended Wijdan Nazir Al-Mohibani Syria
    KS2 Short story Commended Abdelrahman Muhammad Al -Sanen  Syria
     
    KS3 Poetry 1st Ola Abd Al-Razik Al-Hashmyia School, Syria
    KS3 Poetry 2nd & Best in school Nasihah Choudhury Sir John Cass Redcoat Foundation School
    KS3 Poetry 3rd Mohammed Tameen Asif Islam Stepney Green College
    KS3 Poetry Commended & Best in school Taqiya Labiba Central Foundation Girls School
    KS3 Poetry Commended Humairah Yasmin Central Foundation Girls School
    KS3 Poetry Commended Madihah Begum Central Foundation Girls School
    KS3 Poetry Commended & Best in school Muhammed Omar Hussain Swanlea School
    KS3 Poetry Commended Riyann Chowdhury Morpeth School
    KS3 Poetry Commended Waleed Hassan Morpeth School
    KS3 Poetry Commended Humaira Uddin Sir John Cass Redcoat Foundation School
    KS3 Poetry Commended Imaan Maya Ahmed Sir John Cass Redcoat Foundation School
    KS3 Poetry Commended Esra’ Majid Al-Sa’aoor Syria
    KS3 Short Story 1st Umor Sahil Sir John Cass Redcoat Foundation School
    KS3 Short Story 2nd & Best in school Mabel Tahsin Morpeth School
    KS3 Short Story 3rd Azra Ali Central Foundation Girls School
    KS3 Short Story Commended Faiza Ahmed Central Foundation Girls School
    KS3 Short Story Commended Swahiba Begum Uddin Central Foundation Girls School
    KS3 Short Story Commended Zaara Jabeen Zaman Sir John Cass Redcoat Foundation School
    KS3 Short Story Commended Raghad Yousif Al-Rayes Syria
     
    KS4 Poetry 1st Rahma Mahmoud Shbat Nimr School, Syria
    KS4 Poetry 2nd & Best in school Abdul Khayam Stepney Green College
    KS4 Poetry 3rd Samirah Ahmed Sir John Cass Redcoat Foundation School
    KS4 Poetry Commended Mahid Ali Stepney Green College
    KS4 Short Story 1st Abdul Khayam Stepney Green College
    KS4 Short Story 2nd Huda Walid Al-Halabi Al-Mahditha Secondary School, Syria
    KS4 Short Story 3rd Sulaiman Khan Stepney Green College

    Please send details of any missing or misspelled names to jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    A creative writing link between children in Tower Hamlets and Syria

    This is My Dream is the second year of our creative writing link with Syria. The project’s  vision is to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in schools in London for new arrivals, as well as providing a platform for children in Syria to tell their story to an empathic audience.

    The project builds on the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service’s annual creative writing competition for Key Stages 2-5, and extends the competition to schools based in Syria, leading to a bi-lingual Arabic-English publication for and by children.

    The publication will be a collation of the winning contributions from both the Syrian and British cohorts and will be distributed to participating schools in Tower Hamlets and Syria, with a view to engaging pupils in a process of reading, discussing, interpreting and analysing the contributions of their counterparts, using tried and tested Global Learning methodology.

    This is My Dream

    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service Creative Writing Competition will launch in January 2017 with winners announced following the Easter holiday.

    This year we have successfully bid for funding from the Arts Council to provide 25 author-led creative writing workshops to primary and secondary schools during the spring term. The aim being to inspire pupils and offer them expert advice on writing.

    The competition will also continue to link pupils in Tower Hamlets with young writers from schools in Syria. Work by children from both countries will be published by the Schools Library Services as a dual-language English/ Arabic book later in the year.

    Interpreting the theme

    This is My Dream builds upon the 2016 creative writing competition, Out of Place. The theme covers:

    • Children’s rights
    • Human Rights
    • Hopes and dreams
    • Journeys (metaphorical or otherwise)
    • Overcoming obstacles and challenges
    • Imagination

    Why take part?

    This year the competition is a way to engage pupils with global issues including children’s rights, human rights, and the crisis in Syria. Guidance on these topics will be provided in partnership with the HEC Global Education Centre

    Pupils taking part in the competition are encouraged to engage with literature and to read around the themes in order to inspire their own writing. Schools participating in our creative writing competitions have expressed how they have seen pupils develop in confidence, knowledge and in their ability to write.

    To take part

    1. Register your school. A fee of £30 to cover judging and prizes, is payable via SLA online
    2. Choose the date for your author writing workshop. If you are one of the first 25 schools to register, contact the Schools Library Service to arrange your free workshop
    3. Children write the stories and poems! Guidance and promotional posters will be sent upon registration.
    4. Send us your shortlist of up to 10 entries for each category (short story or poem) by Friday 7th April 2017 for the final judging.

    poster-sample-smallOnline resources to support the theme

    Selected online resources chosen by the HEC Global Education Centre

    Children’s Rights : A Teacher’s Guide

    What Makes Me Happy series from the Ragdoll Foundation

    UNICEF Child’s Rights Launchpad

    UNICEF Teaching Ideas and material

  • Out of Place : Creative Writing Competition 2016

    Out of Place : Creative Writing Competition 2016

    Order copies of the Out of Place paperback book

    I’ve recently had a number of enquiries about additional copies of the paperback edition of the Out of Place anthology of winning entries, including Arabic translations of some of the winning UK entries and the original Arabic text of the winning Syrian entries.

    The original print run covering one free book for each participating school was possible thanks to a grant from the Arab British Centre.
    Copies are now available to buy in paperback from Amazon.

    The winners

    The winners of Out of Place, the 2016 Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition have been announced!

    The prize-giving was held at Clifford Chance, with grey weather failing to dampen spirits despite spoiling the view. Guest speakers included Alia Alzougbi, head of the HEC Global Learning Centre, who spoke of the Syrian connection of the competition and who read out the work of Yousif Al-Kahal, winner of the KS2 short story category from Al-Noor school in Syria. Nadine Kaadan, the children’s author who judged the Syrian entries, and Kim Slater, winner of the 2015 Tower Hamlets Book Award, who judged the Tower Hamlets entries.

    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service writing awards at Clifford Chance, Canary Wharf.
    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service writing awards at Clifford Chance, Canary Wharf.

    Download/ buy the Book

    • Please be aware that the original Arabic texts of the Syrian writing are only in the .pdf and paperback editions. The eBook editions contain the English translations only.
    • [media-downloader media_id=”12747″ texts=”Download the .mobi format eBook”]
    •  [media-downloader media_id=”20759″ texts=”Download Out of Place (English and Arabic) pdf edition”]
    • Download Out of Place / Far from Here pdf edition
    • Link to the eBook and paperback on Amazon

     

    Congratulations to all of the prize winners. To register for the 2017 competition, order via SLA online. Contact jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk for more information.

    KS2 Poetry Winners
    Place Category Name School Title
    1st & best in school KS2 poem Tazbid Chowdry Halley Primary School ‘Please let us Stay’
    2nd & best in school KS2 poem Penny Gould Chisenhale Primary School Refugee
    3rd & best in school KS2 poem Tanzila Ahmed Blue Gate Fields Junior School How I wish
    commended KS2 poem Nasifa Begum Halley Primary School
    commended KS2 poem Isobel McGrath Chisenhale Primary School What’s the point of racism?
    commended & best in school KS2 poem Elysia Morton Sir John Cass Primary School Refugee
    commended & best in school KS2 poem Rojin Keefe Guardian Angels Primary School You never forget
    best in school KS2 poem Shamia Akhtar John Scurr Primary School My Refugee Poem
    best in school KS2 poem Ariana Dewhurst Globe Primary School Make a Change
    best in school KS2 poem Fahmida Naima St Pauls Whitechapel Primary School Out of Place
    KS2 Short Story Winners
    Place Category Name School Title
    1st KS2 Story Yousif Al-Kahal Al-Noor School (Syria) A Child’s Dream
    2nd & best in school KS2 Story Fergus O’Sullivan St Elizabeth Primary School Refugee Story’
    3rd & best in school KS2 Story Oumou Gassama Canon Barnett ‘How?’
    commended KS2 Story Sabrine Denbri Halley Primary School ‘The Refugees’
    commended & best in school KS2 Story Namira Sandhu St Annes Primary School James’ Journey
    commended KS2 Story Angela Vassilakis St Elizabeth Primary School Out of Place
    commended & best in school KS2 Story Safiya Begum Cayley Primary School Runaway
    commended KS2 Story Abdallah Abu Aeesha Al-Ehssan College (Syria)
    commended KS2 Story Mahmoud Al-Aarabnyea Al-Noor School (Syria) A Story That Occurred One Day
     best in school KS2 Story Sumaiya Sany Hague Primary School I could feel Hope
     best in school KS2 Story Sanjeedah Ali Malmesbury Primary School Out of Place
     best in school KS2 Story Deborah Momoh Our Lady and St Joseph Primary School The Journal
     best in school KS2 Story Farhana Aktar Marion Richardson Primary School The Refugee Catstrophe
     best in school KS2 Story Archie Pyke St Saviour’s Primary School Out of Place
    KS3 Poetry Winners
    Place Category Name School Title
    1st & best in school KS3 poem Nasif Islam Stepney Green School Out of Place’
    2nd KS3 poem Syeda Najah Ali Central Foundation Girls’ School Out of Place’
    3rd & best in school KS3 poem Sam Mossop Morpeth School ‘The Boats’
    commended KS3 poem Saimah Begum Central Foundation Girls’ School Life as a refugee
    commended KS3 poem Belal Ahmed Stepney Green School The Lone Refugee
    KS3 Short Story Winners
    Place Category Name School Title
    1st & best in school KS3 Story Lamisa Farhat Central Foundation Girls’ School Out of Place’
    2nd KS3 Story Raneem Al-Kahlos Al-Ehssan College (Syria) A Flower Blossoms From Under The Rubble
    3rd KS3 Story Raghad Mohei Al-Deen Lahen Al-Hayat (Syria) The War
    commended KS3 Story Sajidah Alam Central Foundation Girls’ School ‘Home Sweet Home’
    commended KS3 Story Tahmeed Abdullah Stepney Green School ‘Out of Place’
    commended KS3 Story Jasmin Rahman Central Foundation Girls’ School Every story deserves to be heard
    commended KS3 Story Muhammad Abir Choudry Stepney Green School Survival
    commended KS3 Story Ammar Hamada Al-Anater School (Syria) A Syrian child discovering the real meaning of homelessness
    best in school KS3 Story Muhammed Ibrahim Bow Boys Secondary The story of the Refugees
    KS4 Poetry Winners
    Place Category Name School Title
    1st KS4 poem Piah Uddin Central Foundation Girls’ School ‘From inside a Black Hole’
    2nd & best in school KS4 poem Muhammed Towid Ahmed Stepney Green School Home
    3rd KS4 poem Sulaiman Khan Stepney Green School ‘Out of Place’
    commended KS4 poem Aafrin Al-Mamun Central Foundation Girls’ School The right to rights
    commended KS4 poem Nadeem Mahmud Malek Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School Thralldom
    KS4 Short Story Winners
    Place Category Name School Title
    1st KS4 Story Syeda Subha Anjum Central Foundation Girls’ School Wandered’
    2nd KS4 Story Saima Uddin Central Foundation Girls’ School ‘If’
    3rd KS4 Story Tamanna Hussain Central Foundation Girls’ School ‘Trapped and Isolated’

    The theme of Out of Place is refugees, and this year the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services and the HEC Global Education Centre will be running the competition concurrently with Tower Hamlets schools and with schools for Syrian children.

    The winning entries from both countries will be published together for World Refugee Week 2016.

    Out of Place for web 2The competition is for upper KS2 (years 5 & 6), and KS3 and 4 and ran from January to June.

    Approaching the themes

    Pupils should be encouraged to approach their writing in a way that best suits them and that will inspire their best work.

    This section will be updated over the term. Please contact us if you wish to share ideas here.

    Suggestions of issues to discuss related to refugees
    • Famous people who children may not recognise as being refugees
      • Judith Kerr (Germany to UK)
      • Albert Einstein (Germany)
      • Anne Frank (Germany to the Netherlands)
      • Anish Kapoor (Iraq to UK)
      • Marc Chagall (Russian-born Jew)
      • Sir John Tenniel
      • Bob Marley (Jamaica to US)
      • David and Ed Miliband (sons of a Belgian-Jewish refugee family)
      • Lenin (Russia to Switzerland)
      • Chief Sitting Bull (fled America to Canada)
      • Jesus (Israel to Egypt)
      • Muhammad (Mecca to Medina)
      • The current Dalai Lama
      • Jackie Chan (Hong Kong to US)
    • Challenge popular stereotypes in the media
      • The ‘wealthy’ refugee
      • The economic migrant driven by greed/ “Benefits Scroungers”
      • Criminals/ terrorists
      • Unskilled/ unqualified
      • A ‘drain on society’
      • “We’ve no more room”
    • Navigating a new society and trying to fit in
      • Child refugees and families
      • Finding employment
      • Language barriers
      • Dealing with prejudice
      • Refugees who may not be able/ allowed to make use of their skills/ talents
    • Conditions that the refugees are fleeing / why do people choose to leave their homes?
      • War/ civil unrest
      • Persecution (social, religion, ethnicity)
      • Famine/ natural disasters
      • Political freedom
      • Looking for a better life?
    • Where dopeople go when they leave their own country?
      • Across the border
      • Rich countries / poor countries
      • Life in a refugee camp / on a boat /staying with family
      • Looking for family
      • Areas of the world where there are refugees
    • Historical examples that pupils may be familiar with
      • Kindertransport and Nazi Germany/ the Holocaust
      • Soviet Russia
        • Where are refugees coming from today? (figures for 2014: Source: United Nations High Commission for Refugees, 2015 report)
      • Syria (3.9m)
      • Afghanistan (2.6m)
      • Somalia (1.11m)
      • Sudan (666,000)
      • South Sudan (616,200)
      • Democratic Rep. Congo (516,000)
      • Myanmar (479,000)
      • Central African Republic (412,000)
      • Iraq (369,900)
      • Eritrea (363,100)
    Other ideas for addressing the theme of ‘out of place’
    • Exploring personal identity
    • Recognition
    • Isolation/ alienation
    • Moving to a new home/ school
    • Foster families/ people in care
    • Fantasy genres
      • Time travel
      • Parallel worlds
      • Space travel/ science fiction

    Resources to support the theme

    The Schools Library Service has a large collection of fiction and non-fiction resources to support teachers and writers with this competition.

    You may also request resources on the topic of refugees using our online form

    Examples of stories on the topic of refugees

    We have compiled a short list of fiction titles here that address the topic in different ways.

    • Michelle Lord : A Song for Cambodia. Based on a true story about Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge
    • Gillian Cross : After Tomorrow. British children find themselves in a French refugee camp following Britain’s financial collapse
    • Karen Lynn Williams : Four Feet, Two Sandals. Based on the lives of Afghan refugees living in the Peshawar Refugee Camp.
    • Armin Greder : The Island. When a man is washed up upon the shore only a few lone voices welcome him. The others not only force him to leave, but turn their island into a fortress to prevent more arrivals.
    • Shaun Tan : The Arrival. Fearing what is to come, a father flees his country to make a new home for himself and his family. A wordless story that looks at starting a new life in a strange country and explores the many reasons people have to leave their homes.
    • Frank Cottrell Boyce : The Unforgotten Coat. Chingis and his brother, refugees from Mongolia, are determined to fit in with their Liverpool schoolmates
    • Roald Dahl : James and the Giant Peach. A young boy flees persecution by his family
    • Various : Superman. An alien child is sent to Earth to prevent his death from an environmental disaster. As he grows up he learns to use his talents to benefit his adopted home.
    • Michael Bond : A Bear called Paddington. The story of a refugee who enriches the lives of his adopted family and community
    • Geraldine McCaughrean : Not The End of The World. Noah’s daughter discovers a stowaway on the Ark
    • Benjamin Zephaniah : Refugee Boy. A fourteen-year-old’s journey through the British immigration system
    • Mary Hoffman : The Colour of Home. Having fled the war in Somalia, a child uses painting to express his feelings and experiences
    • Mary Williams : Brothers in hope. The story of an 8-year-old boy travelling across Africa, fleeing war in Sudan
    • Kathy Beckwith : Playing War by . A refugee child, having fled the conflict that killed his family, finds it difficult to join in with his new friends when they invite him to ‘play war’.
    • Karen Lynn Williams : My name is Sangoel. The story of a refugee child who feels out of place in his new country
Online resources

In order to help teachers engage with pupils on this topic we have listed a number of online resources below

  • Secondary schools subscribing to the Schools Library Services have access to “The Day” which will have discussed these issues during the year

For more information, email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Arabic

Schools taking part this year
  • Blue Gate Fields Juniors
  • Cayley Primary
  • Chisenhale Primary
  • Globe Primary
  • Guardian Angels Primary
  • Hague Primary
  • Harry Gosling Primary
  • John Scurr Primary
  • Malmesbury Primary
  • Marion Richardson Primary
  • Our Lady and St Joseph Primary
  • St Annes Primary
  • St Elizabeth Primary
  • St Pauls Whitechapel Primary
  • St Saviours Primary
  • Sir John Cass Primary
  • Bow Boys Secondary
  • Central Foundation Girls Secondary
  • Oaklands Secondary
  • Sir John Cass Foundation Secondary
  • Stepney Green Boys Secondary
  • Swanlea Secondary
  • Morpeth Secondary
[associated_posts]

 

 

  • Once upon a time… : Creative Writing Competition 2015

    Once upon a time… : Creative Writing Competition 2015

    IMG_1800Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2015 Creative Writing competition, pictured here with Catherine Johnson who presented their prizes and certificates. Pupils from 22 primary and secondary schools were rewarded for their work in writing some fantastic poems and stories, and we’d like to thank again Catherine for judging the competition, and for all of the staff at Clifford Chance who hosted the prize-giving.

    Choosing the winners was an extremely difficult task, and placing them in the awards even harder. The full list of winners is below.

    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners

    1st    Imani Adesanya    St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    2nd    Irfan Rahman    Cayley Primary School
    3rd    Shama Arufa    St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended   Nadia Saleh    Marion Richardson Primary School

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners

    Joint 1st    Lili Fairclough    Chisenhale Primary School
    Joint 1st    Jahed Ali Chowdhuri    Harry Gosling Primary School
    2nd    Aflah Odayapurath    Harry Gosling Primary School
    Joint 3rd    Isobel McGrath    Chisenhale Primary School
    Joint 3rd    Natalia Augustynowicz    St Anne’s Primary School
    Joint 3rd    Cadee Mbonu    Our Lady and St Josephs’ Primary School
    Commended    Umae Assefa    St Anne’s Primary School
    Commended    Arnold Duru    Our Lady and St Joseph’s Primary School
    Commended     Abrar Fariduddin    Globe Primary School
    Runner up    Tracy Mandal    Blue Gate Fields Junior School
    Runner up    Phoebe Lee    Guardian Angels Primary School
    Runner up    Gabriel Gokool    Guardian Angels Primary School
    Runner up    Madeeha Meezan    Hague Primary School
    Runner up    Maiesha  Islam    Hague Primary School
    Runner up    Sarah Salwa   John Scurr Primary School
    Runner up    Shokathia Islam   John Scurr Primary School
    Runner up    Mohammed Akbar Ali   Malemsbury Primary School
    Runner up    Hannah Labor   St Elizabeths Primary School
    Runner up    Omar Ahmed Ali   St Pauls Whitechapel Primary School

    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners

    1st    Intila Abedhin    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    2nd    Maliha Ahmed    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Piah Uddin    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Samida Yasmin    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended     Lucy Vo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Stephanie Quarty    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Samirah Ahmed    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School

    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners

    1st    Rio Puffett    Bow Secondary School
    Joint 2nd    Motarin Zomari   Morpeth School
    Joint 2nd    Piah Uddin   Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Ahmed Farah    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended    Katharine Tang    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Juariyah Raqib    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Nusaybah Al-Mamun    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Runner up    Hamza Ahmed Chowdhury   Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing

    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners

    1st    Anika Iqbal    Langdon Park Secondary School

    Prize-winners’ workshop

    The workshop with author Catherine Johnson will be held on Tuesday 23rd June at the PDC, 229 Bethnal Green Road.

    • Secondary workshop : 9.30am to 11.30am
    • Primary workshop : 12.30pm to 2.30pm

    About the competition

    Our Creative Writing Competition is open to pupils in upper KS2, KS3 and KS4

    The competition aims to encourage children to explore writing as an exciting activity and to have their achievements recognised. The 2015 competition runs from January to April. Children are invited to write a short story or poem on the theme which this year is alternative fairy tales and myths and legends.

    Prizes

    The first prize in each key stage and category (short story and poetry) is £50 with additional prizes for runners up and commended entries. All prize-winners are invited to attend a writing workshop with the guest judge.

    An anthology of the winning entries will be published as an electronic book via Amazon to take the children’s work to a worldwide audience, and can also be uploaded to school VLEs and websites.

    A prize-giving ceremony will take place on Monday 22nd June at the Clifford Chance Building for the winners and members of their family.

    Exploring the theme

    Traditional tales and myths and legends offer a wide range of inspiration to writers. Guidance notes on the theme will be sent to registering schools. Participants are encouraged to read a variety of myths, fairytales and folk tales in order to help them choose characters or a story to adapt.

    Book selections are available to borrow from the Schools Library Service – either visit us, or mark on your Request for Resources form that your school is taking part in the competition.

    Poster art to download

    You can download these images to use as part of a PowerPoint or on a school display screen (right click and select and select save link as…)

    CWC2015forweb4

     

    [associated_posts]

     

  • I picked up a pen and started writing : Creative Writing Competition 2014

    I picked up a pen and started writing : Creative Writing Competition 2014

    IMG_0434The winners of the 2014 Creative Writing Competition have been chosen!

    Children and staff and their guests were entertained by author and libraries campaigner Alan Gibbons on the 17th June as the prizes for the 2014 creative writing competition were awarded for winners in six categories for poetry and short stories.

    Several winners read from their work, which will be published as an eBook in July – available here and on the Amazon marketplace. The next day Alan hosted exclusive creative writing workshops for the lucky winners.

    The Schools Library Service would like to thank Alan Gibbons for judging this year’s entries, Clifford Chance for hosting the prize-giving, and all of the teachers and librarians who encouraged the hudreds of pupils to write the amazing poems and stories that we recieved.

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners
    1st    Cara Mila Protopopov    Hermitage Primary School
    2nd    Ruhina Khanam    John Scurr Primary School
    3rd    Naazihah Amin    Globe Primary School
    Commended    Sonny Bissessar    St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended    Maariyah Ayman    Lansbury Lawrence Primary
    Commended    Zahirah Sultana    Cyril Jackson Primary School
    Commended    Libby Mashedi    Our Lady Primary School
    Commended     Tasfia Begum    Hague Primary School
    Commended    Ryan Hunter    Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended    Simone Enzo Macharia Ciavarro    Guardian Angels Primary School

    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners
        
    1st Work withdrawn
    2nd    Hope Wardley    St Edmunds Primary School
    3rd    Mia Fay Fischer    Hermitage Primary School
    Commended    Malisa Amin    Lansbury Lawrence Primary School
    Commended    Zarin Tasmin    Cayley Primary School

    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners
    Joint 1st    Nishat Humaira    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Joint 1st    Nuha Quddus    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Leanne Lam    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Aafriya Al-Mamun    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Thibyan Haque    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    Commended    Muhammad Safaraz Jowardhar    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    Commended    Sophie Pereyra Bowdler    Morpeth Secondary School
    Commended    Ruma Begum    Langdon Park Secondary School
    Commended    Yasmin Abedin    Langdon Park Secondary School

    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners
    1st    Lailing Berthoud    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    2nd    Tasnia Choudhury    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Tameika Bamfo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Rima Zaman Mohini    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended     Lucy Vo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Stephanie Quarty    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Samirah Ahmed    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School

    Key Stage Four Short Story Winners
    1st    Thasnia Khan    Oaklands Secondary School
    2nd    Mohammed Hassan    Bow School of Maths and Computing
    3rd    Anika Haque    Swanlea Secondary School
    Commended    Ahsan Mahmud    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing

    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners
    1st    Rahim Choudhury    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    2nd    Mohammad Hamidul Islam    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    3rd    Tahmena Miah    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School

     

    OpeningLinesBanner

     

    About the competition

    The 2014 competition runs from January to April.  Children are invited to choose one of four opening lines and write a short story or poem. The first prize in each key stage and category (short story and poetry) is £50 with additional prizes for runners up and commended entries. All prize-winners are invited to attend a writing workshop with the guest judge.

    This year’s guest judge will be acclaimed author Alan Gibbons.

    An anthology of the winning entries will be published as an electronic book via Amazon to take the children’s work to a worldwide audience, and can also be uploaded to school VLEs and websites.

    This year, the prize-giving ceremony will take place on Monday 16th June at the Clifford Chance Building for the winners and members of their family.

    Posters

    There are four A3 size posters for this year’s competition that will be sent to registered schools from January.

    There are three steps to taking part:

    1. Register your school.  Email schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk or use the contact form below. The entry fee of £75 for primary schools is payable via SLA online.  The fee for secondary schools is included in their “creative literature” subscription package.
    1. Children write the stories and poems! The stories and poems must start with one of the four opening lines.
    1. Send us your entries by Wednesday 2nd April 2014 for the final judging. Primary schools must send us their shortlist of 10 entries per category. There is no limit to entries from secondary schools.
    Competition Rules

    Closing date: Monday 24th March 2014. Return entries to your English teacher. Entries to reach the Schools Library Services by Wednesday 2nd April for judging.

    Prize Giving: Monday 16th June 2013

    The Competition

    • Write a short story up to 500 words (KS2) 750 words (KS3) or 1000 words (KS4) (may also be in illustrated story or comic book format)
    • Or a poem up to 25 lines (KS2 & KS3) and 35 lines (KS4)
    • You may submit a maximum of one entry in each category

    Entries must start with one of these opening lines:

    1. I jumped out of the window and started running.
    2. Inside the old leather suitcase was a notebook, a pencil, an apple, and…
    3. Looking over the edge of the hole was enough to set your head spinning…
    4. The sky turned black. We stood and waited in silence.

    Who may enter

    • Students in KS2 (years 5 and 6) KS3 and KS4

    Submitted work

    • A completed entry form (emailed to schools) must be attached securely to the front of each entry.
    • Entries must be in English. written or (preferably) typed on one side of the page only, or emailed in Word format
    • Work should be in black or blue ink or text on white paper
    • Illustrations/comic pages should be originals or files scanned at 200 – 300 dpi
    • No Word Art or clipart!
    • Each page should have the entrant’s full name and school written clearly on the back.
    • All entries must be the student’s own work, including all illustrations. Plagiarised writing and artwork will be disqualified.
    • The judge’s decision will be final.

    Returning work

    • We will return fully illustrated work to the applicant’s school if this is requested when the work is submitted
    • We cannot return any other submissions, so please keep your own copy.

    Prizes

    • Prizes of £50, £30 and £20 for first, second and third entries in each category
    • Prizes of £10 for commended entries
    • Commended and winning entries will be published electronically with rights retained by the author
    • All winners will be invited to an exclusive workshop with author Alan Gibbons on Tuesday 17th June

    Published anthology

    • The final published book will be made available from 16th July 2014 on the Amazon Kindle store and other platforms.

    Good luck!

    Previous creative writing competitions:

    [associated_posts]
  • Wonder : Creative Writing Competition 2013

    Wonder : Creative Writing Competition 2013

    Contact us about the competition
    [XForms id=”7″]

    WonderBanner

    Winners from a record number of primary and secondary schools in Tower Hamlets gathered in the hospitality suite of the Clifford Chance offices in Canary Wharf to collect their prizes for the 2013 Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition.

    The competition, an annual event run by the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service, is for poetry and short stories and is open to pupils aged 9 to 16.

    First-place prizes, winning £50, were awarded to Niamh Bush from Guardian Angels Primary School, Priya Begum from John Scurr Primary School, Tahira Chowdhury from Central Foundation Girls’ School, Caitlin Finnerty from Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School, Jaydeen Lee Kusi from Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School and Tania Begum from Oaklands Secondary School, and were awarded by Josh Lacey, author of Island of Thieves and the Dragonsitter series, who judged the work this year.

    Prizes were also collected by children from Bow School of Maths and Computing, Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing, Morpeth Secondary School, and primary schools Globe , Hague , Our Lady, Cayley, Lansbury Lawrence , Bangabandhu, Thomas Buxton, Osmani , St Paul with St Luke’s, Chisenhale and Canon Barnett.

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners
    1st Priya Begum John Scurr Primary School
    2nd Syeda Inayah Zisha Hague Primary School
    3rd Martina Irurita Guardian Angels Primary School
    Commended Tullia Galizia Globe Primary School
    Commended Sonny Bissessar St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended Emmanuel Lwanga Our Lady Primary
    Commended Allegra Freeman Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended Rahema Begum Bangahandhu Primary School
    Commended Aakifah Ahmed Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended Nusaybah Al-Mamun Thomas Buxton Primary School
    Commended Yamin Chowdhury Osmani Primary School
    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners
    1st Niamh Bush Guardian Angels Primary School
    2nd Inaya Zaman Hague Primary School
    3rd Massammath Khadija Begum John Scurr Primary School
    Commended Ellie Lowe St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended Saymon Mebrahtu St Paul with St Luke
    Commended Shania Mahmood Our Lady Primary School
    Commended Shuchi Quddus Cayley Primary School
    Commended Thomas Dowden Guardian Angels Primary School
    Commended Naifah Choudhury Canon Barnett Primary
    Commended Alisha Ali Lansbury Lawrence Primary School
    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners
    1st Caitlin Finnerty Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    2nd Vicky Tham Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    3rd Michael Duke Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Sofia Heustice Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Kobe Mendoza Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Shaun Odili Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Adiba Borsha Oaklands Secondary School
    Commended Soliman Rabie Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners
    1st Tahira Chowdhury Central Foundation Girls’ School
    2nd Karimah Nuha Firdaws Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    3rd Naznina Begum Oaklands Secondary School
    Commended Jadie Phillips Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended Samiya Rahman Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Key Stage Four Short Story Winners
    1st Tania Begum Oaklands Secondary School
    2nd Daniel Fisher Bow School of Maths and Computing
    3rd Maryam Chowdhury Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended Albert Wright Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Akashi Alam Morpeth Secondary School
    Commended Tasrin Chowdhury Oaklands Secondary School
    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners
    1st Jaydeen Lee Kusi Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    2nd Meaghan Coughlan Leon Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate Girls School
    3rd Beauty Ohlamini Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate Girls School
    Commended Hamza Uddin Bow School of Maths and Computing
    [associated_posts]
  • London Calling : Creative Writing Competition 2012

    London Calling : Creative Writing Competition 2012

    Following an incredible amount of interest from teachers and librarians, London Calling was the first of our creative wirting competitions to be opened up to primary schools.

    The theme was inspired by the 2012 London Olympic Games but also by the lyrics of London Calling the song.

    The competition was judged by award-winning author, Geraldine McCaughrean.

    LondonCallingBanner

    London Calling prize-giving press release

    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.

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners
    1st Hannah Ramanathan If I had a Wish St Paul with St Luke
    2nd Mehnoor Jahan London Calling Cayley Primary School
    3rd Asiya Siddika Change! Globe Primary School
    Commended Iqra Ayesha Rahman London Calling Cayley Primary School
    Commended Tanzila Shamsuzzaman A School Trip St Paul with St Luke
    Commended Louisa-Star Russell-Brown London Calling Our Lady’s
    Commended Nuha Ahmed Thief at Buckingham Palace Hague Primary
    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners

     

    1st Lucy Anh Vo A Vision to Sea St Paul with St Luke
    2nd Rahama Saleh The Olympics St Paul with St Luke
    3rd Demi Ruffell London Calling Our Lady’s
    Commended Yusuf Ahmed Racist or Sexist Lansbury Lawrence
    Commended Freya Samuel-Smith London is a Busy Town Bangabandhu Primary
    Commended Ruben Estephane London Calling Our Lady’s
    Commended Rukba Ahmed London Olympics Blue Gate Fields
    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners

     

    1st Sadia Qureshi Tripping on Words Bishop Challoner
    2nd Valentina Granata The London People Choose to Ignore Bishop Challoner
    3rd Nadiyah Shah Barefaced London Central Foundation Girls’
    Commended Jibril Ahmed Dodge City Bow School
    Commended Nazim Rahman Monologue of a Pigeon Stepney Green
    Commended Nishat Humaira London Riot Central Foundation Girls’
    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners

     

    1st Summer Lewis London’s Calling Morpeth School
    2nd Abigail Asabea-Appiah London’s Calling Bishop Challoner Girls’
    3rd Ridhwan Haque Jewels of London Stepney Green Secondary
    Commended Bella Jordan Armstrong London’s Maze Morpeth
    Commended Reshma Akthar The Athlete Central Foundation Girls’
    Commended Tahmid Hussain (sp?) Primrose Hill Stepney Green
    Commended Aiste Tiskeviciute London’ s Calling Bishop Challoner Girls’
    Key Stage Four Short Story Winners

     

    1st Farhana Iqbal Jack is Coming Bishop Challoner Girl’s
    2nd Nermeen Hilton Ratatouille Bishop Challoner Girl’s
    3rd Ngozi Oboze Principes Mortis Bishop Challoner Girl’s
    Commended Marzia Khan Ripper Sir John Cass
    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners

     

    1st Kundai Sibanda London Calling Sir John Cass
    2nd Ronnie-Anne Barthram Stereotypical London Bishop Challoner Girls’
    3rd Bunmi Musa-Moses The London Game Bishop Challoner Girls’
    Commended Kimberley Nguyen The Future of London Bishop Challoner Girls’
    Commended Joseph Thomas-Samuels Gold Bishop Challoner Boys’
    Commended Ijenne Enwerem My Interpretation Bishop Challoner Girls’
    [associated_posts]
  • Crossing The Line : Creative Writing Competition 2011

    Crossing The Line : Creative Writing Competition 2011

    CTLBannerCrossing the line was the first of the Creative Writing Competitions to be run by the Schools Library Services. The winners were chosen by author Pete Johnson.

    Download Crossing the Line (.epub)

    Read Crossing the Line (.pdf)

    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners
    1st HAZERA KHATUN Sir John Cass School Strikingly original, absolutely unforgettable piece which takes us inside the head of a person who ‘crosses all limits’ – the bully. Deeply felt story which says so much.
    2nd NASRIN AHMED Central Foundation Girls School This gripping tale is written with great power and insight. Beautifully controlled yet full of emotion.
    3rd RUBEKA ZAFAR Morpeth School A story about war yet written with such quiet power and fascinating detail. It builds to a most eloquent ending.
    Commended SAHRA BOTAM Langdon Park A dramatic and gripping piece. A writer of great talent.
    Commended SALMAN RAHMAN Stepney Green College An intense, highly original piece, written with great power and skill.
    Highly commended MINHAJ CHOWDHURY Bow School for Boys A compelling narrative which also features a most likeable character.
    Highly commended BILAL HAMMANI Bethnal Green Technology College The dialogue here is vivid and completely natural. A writer of great promise.
    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners

     

    1st NADIA RAHMAN Morpeth School Ambitious, challenging and highly original. Full of raw power. A superb achievement. Full of ideas and emotion.
    2nd ZAHRA NABIL Bishop Challoner School Deeply felt, the ending is almost unbearable. Absolutely gripping and unforgettable.
    3rd JOSHUA STREETE CAMPBELL Raines Foundation School Eloquent, absorbing, this poem is strikingly individual. At the end you already feel you know the writer. Last lines are devastating.
    Highly  commended SYEDA KHATUN Langdon Park One of the most positive and inspiring of all the poems. This writer has great potential.
    Highly commended MINHAJ RAHMAN Stepney Green School Shows great promise. Full of vivid phrases and images.
    Highly commended SHAKILA  TASNIM Mulberry School Written in a gripping, conversational style. Extremely powerful ending.
     Commended AKASHI ALAM Morpeth  School I really like this. The writing is so natural and unforced. A detailed plot, but the writing style carries the reader along.
    Key Stage Four Short Story Winners

     

    1st ZAHRA DEERA Central Foundation Girls’ School I loved this: sad yet wise and life-affirming too.  Highly unusual and quite unforgettable.
    2nd TASNIM SHORMEE AZIZ (Shormee) Bishop Challoner Collegiate College A superb achievement. It brings alive a character and a situation with wonderful depth and vividness.  I was thoroughly engrossed throughout.
    3rd TAMARA BARRETT Bishop Challoner Collegiate College A fascinating opening, grips the reader at once. This story never relaxes its hold and the ending is incredibly powerful.
    Highly commended RIMA RASHID Sir john Cass School Opening with a series of short sentences, sets the scene with economy and skill. The feelings of the main character are especially described
    Highly commended OLIWIA LEWANDOWSKA Raines Foundation School Written with the power and precision of a poem. This writer shows huge promise.
    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners

     

    1st CHERRY WHIPP Central Foundation Girls’ School This is brilliant: stylish, funny, shocking and full of emotion. A highly original voice.
    2nd JACKIE ANYURU Bishop Challoner Girls’ This makes its points in a direct, really affecting way. Last line is so poignant.
    3rd RHIANNON HUTCHINGS Sir John Cass Very effective, compelling look at how the tiniest things can derail a relationship. Last verse shows vividly how devastating break-ups can be
    Highly commended ALFRED GREEN Raines Foundation School Highly individual, striking, exciting poem. This writer has much to say.
    Best in School Winners
    Langdon Park School SAHRA BOTAM Langdon Park School A dramatic and gripping piece. A writer of great talent.
    Morpeth School NADIA RAHMAN Morpeth School A superb piece of writing – ambitious and powerful.
    Mulberry School SHAKILA TASNIM Mulberry School Extremely powerful yet written with disarming naturalness.
    Raines Foundation School JOSHUA STREETE CAMPBELL Raines Foundation School Eloquent, absorbing and devastating poem.
    Sir John Cass HAZERA KHATUN Sir John Cass An unforgettable piece – deeply felt and highly original.
    Stepney Green School MINHAJ RAHMAN Stepney Green School Vivid and powerful. A writer of huge promise.
    Prize-giving press release

    With equally high ambitions, the winners of Crossing the Line, the 2011 Creative Writing Competition, were treated to spectacular views of the city from the 30th floor of the Clifford Chance offices in Canary Wharf.   Presenting their prizes along with words of advice and encouragement was celebrated author Pete Johnson who told the winners and their guests that the writing of Tower Hamlets students was the best in the country.

    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service now organise this competition which has become an annual celebration of the best young writers in the Borough. This year first prizes in poetry and short story categories went to Zahra Deera and Cherry Whipp from Central Foundation Girls Secondary School, Nadia Rahman from Morpeth School, and Hazera Khatun from Sir John Cass’s Foundation and Redcoat Secondary School.  Pupils from Bethnal Green Technology College, Bow School of Maths and Computing, Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate Girls School, Langdon Park School, Mulberry Girls School, Raine’s Foundation School and Stepney Green Maths and Computing College also won prizes for their work.

    “The event was inspiring and the standard of writing was truly amazing,” said Gillian Harris, Head of Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service

    [associated_posts]