Today marks World Poetry Day, and we’re inviting children aged 7-11 from Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire to explore this year’s theme of Friendship, with the winner getting the amazing opportunity to perform their poem live on our beautiful Waterfront Stage on the opening night of Latitude.
Following a successful debut in 2024, we are thrilled to announce the return of our poetry competition for young writers, in collaboration with BBC Suffolk! We are also excited to reveal that the competition has expanded to include BBC Norfolk and BBC Cambridgeshire, further widening its reach across East Anglia.
Last year’s winner, 11-year-old Anna from near Lavenham, impressed audiences with her heartfelt poem The Mother Tree, a powerful piece about the environment. Anna’s moving performance on our Waterfront Stage stood out, inspiring many young poets to embrace their creativity. The 2025 competition continues this momentum, encouraging children to reflect on the significance of friendship through their poetry.
Latitude Festival has always celebrated the power of words and the creative spirit, and this poetry competition offers a wonderful opportunity for young voices to find a platform. Following last year’s incredible response, we are delighted to continue fostering a love of poetry and to provide more young poets with the chance to express themselves and share their unique perspectives. I hope this competition evolves into a nationally recognised platform where young poets from across the country can showcase their passion for poetry and articulate their individual voices. – Melvin Benn, Founder of Latitude
We have a long-standing and proud history of hosting some of the UK’s most renowned poets, including Poet Laureates Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy, Benjamin Zephaniah, Salena Godden, and punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke. The winner of the 2025 competition will have the honour of opening the festival with their poem on the evening of Thursday, 24th July 2025, on our stunning Waterfront Stage.
How to Enter
- Children aged 7-11 from Suffolk, Norfolk, or Cambridgeshire are now invited to submit an original poem on the theme of Friendship.
- Entries will be accepted until midday on Friday, 11th April 2025.
- Poems must be no longer than 200 words and should creatively explore the meaning and power of friendship.
- Entrants must either reside in or attend a school in Suffolk, Norfolk, or Cambridgeshire.
Meet the Judges
A distinguished panel of judges from the worlds of poetry, broadcasting, and the arts will review the entries:
- Sarah Lilley, who presents the Daytime show 10:00 – 14:00 on BBC Radio Suffolk, said: “It was amazing to introduce last year’s winner on stage at Latitude. Whoever wins this year will have an unforgettable experience. I have two young girls, so I know how creative young people can be and the theme of friendship will really resonate with them.”
- Louise Hulland, who presents the afternoon show 14:00-18:00 across BBC Radio Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire said: “This is such an amazing opportunity for a young poet, and it’s great the competition has grown to cover our three counties. Poetry and creative writing is a huge part of the afternoon programme and BBC Local Radio is all about being a friend to our listeners, so I’m really looking forward to reading all the entries.”
- Kirsty Taylor – Arts Curator for Latitude, responsible for programming arts performances, including comedy, spoken word, theatre, visual arts, and dance. Kirsty said: “Friendship can so often be one of the most surprising aspects of life; a backdrop to memorable moments, a foreground source of conflict and comfort, and a way of discovering new lenses through which to see the world. I can’t wait to see how young poets interpret this theme and capture an image of friendship, and to hear our winner share their poem at Latitude this summer.”
- Luke Wright – Renowned East Anglian poet, Luke has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most popular live poets. He has won multiple Saboteur Awards and has performed at every Latitude Festival. Luke said,” Friendship is a gift. Our friends lift us up, they enrich our lives, they bring us joy. Capturing joy in a poem is no easy thing but when it’s done well it makes for such wonderful reading. I want to see those moments of joy friendship can bring. After the brilliant entries we had last year I gave high hopes. I can’t wait to read your friendship poems.”
Key Dates
- Launch: Friday, 21st March 2025 (World Poetry Day), entry form live from 6:00 am.
- Entry Period: Entries are accepted for four weeks, closing at midday on Friday, 11th April 2025.
- Winner Notified: By Friday, 30th May 2025.
- Winning Entry Announcement: Wednesday, 4th June 2025, on BBC Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire.
- Winning Poet’s Performance: The winner will perform their poem at the Latitude Festival on Thursday, 24th July 2025, opening the festival on the Waterfront Stage.