14 Milton Keynes College GCSE English learners have had their poems published in an anthology after winning in a national poetry competition.

In May, 26 GCSE students from Milton Keynes College were selected as winners of the national Young Writers poetry competition, awarded with ‘Talent for Writing’ certificates. Young Writers runs national writing competitions for schools and colleges, to support teachers and inspire students’ imaginations, and to allow for poets and writers of all ages to share their work.

The competition allowed GCSE students to expand on their in-class learning and to practice for their English Language exams, which include a creative writing element. Having been invited to participate by Young Writers, the students wrote poems on the theme of ‘Lest We Forget’ based on the topics of war and peace.

The final anthology of poems includes works from several participating colleges, with 14 poems from the winners from Milton Keynes College.

The Young Writers team praised the “maturity” of the students’ poems and their ability to show “sensitivity without shying away from the realities of conflict”. They said: “We were incredibly moved by the powerful and thoughtful poems submitted by Milton Keynes College students for our Lest We Forget competition.

“Writing about war is never easy, but these young poets showed creativity and maturity in their work; their poems showed sensitivity without shying away from the realities of conflict. It’s fantastic to see so many of them recognised for their effort – congratulations to all involved!”

Tamsyn Kramer, Head of School for English at Milton Keynes College, said: “We were delighted so many of our GCSE English students won and were published in the Young Writers’ book ‘Lest We Forget’.  I was really impressed with the excellent poems so many students wrote — they are very talented writers.”

Sherifa, a student at Milton Keynes College whose poem was included in the anthology, said: “Writing the poem was exciting and finding out it was published was a great feeling of achievement. My inspiration was particularly my dreams, family and tutors. The poem addresses the struggle of soldiers on the battlefield, thus we must appreciate their efforts.”

Katie, another student who saw their work published, said: “I was inspired to write my poem, as VE Day was approaching and it reminded me of the lives lost to save our country. Writing it was reflective and a great experience to try educating others on what it was like during the war. It allowed me to explore different aspects of writing. Seeing my poem published was incredibly meaningful.”