Poetry competition
To celebrate World Poetry Day and International Day of Forests, which both fall on 21st March, we’re inviting primary school children to share their poet-tree.
5- to 11-year-olds are invited to write an original poem on the theme of trees and nature. Poems can be in any style and of any length, written or typed - let the creativity flow!
How will the poetry be judged?
The winner be selected by our guest judge from a shortlist selected by ITF staff. The winning poem will be published in ITF’s annual Trees Journal magazine.
The winning poem
will be published
in ITF’s annual
Trees Journal.
How to submit your poem
Email it to poetry@internationaltreefoundation.org
or post it to International Tree Foundation, The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE. Please include your name, age and the contact details of a grown up we can contact if you win.
The deadline for entries is Thursday 19th June.
2024 winner
Poet and filmmaker, Tomfoolery, had the difficult decision of judging the 2024 competition.
He selected six-year-old Gabriel Slamka’s with Seasons of the Trees, a beautiful 4-verse poem and one of many inspirational entries.
“Gabriel Slamkova, at just six years old, has crafted a poem that radiates a depth and maturity far beyond her years. Her words are a perfect blend of innocence and wisdom, weaving visual imagery so vivid it transports the reader into the heart of nature itself.
“The rhythm and rhyme she effortlessly employed add a melodic quality that enhances the beauty of her work. Gabriel's poem not only put a smile on my face but also resonated with a sense of wonder and joy that made it impossible to choose anyone else. Her talent is truly remarkable, and she is a deserving winner of the International Tree Foundation poetry competition.” - Tomfoolery
Seasons
of the trees
By Gabriel Slamka
The happy birds chirrup
in the thin green leaves
for worms take shelter
because of big breeze.
Bees buzz around
for nectar so sweet
and for flowers it is
a huge tickly treat
The golden leaves sway around
in the air and the birds migrate
to the far away there.
The trees are sleeping
covered in furry snow
please put the bird food out
for the very hungry crows.
If budding poets are looking for inspiration, here are some poetry prompts from the current Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho:
Look for trees at your school or on your journey to school to help create your poem.
Create a poem about magical creatures or talking animals that live in trees and hedgerows.
Write a poem from the viewpoint of a tree.
What season do you think the poem takes place in? How is the tree affected by the season?
For loads more tips on writing poet-tree, visit the Laureate site at BookTrust.