We are delighted to announce the position of Young Poet Laureate 2022/2023 has been awarded to Emily Hunt, a pupil from Kineton High School. 

The Laureateship is open to anyone aged between 13 and 17 who lives and is educated in Warwickshire and is a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to develop their writing skills and take part in events and activities across the county under the mentorship of a professional poet. Past Warwickshire Young Poet Laureates have performed on the radio, on film, at festivals and led their own poetry workshops. This year’s winner, Emily, will be mentored by published and prize-winning poet and writer Brenda Read-Brown.

Emily was crowned Warwickshire’s Young Poet Laureate winner following a selection day at Rugby Library earlier this month. Four high calibre candidates took part in a workshop with award-winning poet and writer Steve Pottinger, who shared creative tips and advice about how to successfully deliver poetry performances.

The candidates then each took part in interviews and performed two of their own compositions in front of the judging panel, this included sharing their ideas about the Young Poet Laureate role. The day culminated in the judges selecting Emily as Young Poet Laureate 2022/2023. The Young Poet Laureate competition is run by Warwickshire Libraries and supported by Poetry on Loan; an initiative supported by Arts Council England.