Greenhead College Student Earns National Recognition in Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

Article by Daisy, Greenhead College student 

Greenhead College student, Alaw, has been selected as one of the 15 winners in The Foyle Young Poets Award writing competition. 

With her creative, poetic outlook and pro-feminist ideology, she has successfully constructed a beautifully engaging story expressing her opinion on the matters of war and how its turbulence affects us all. 

Inspired by Canada’s renowned novelist, poet and critic Margaret Atwood, and Britain’s own Carol Ann Duffy, Alaw explores many themes of power, gender and identity in her writing, bringing a fresh, young Yorkshire perspective to the issues of equality and the disastrous consequences of violent conflict. 

Alaw offers an uplifting message of hope to young aspiring poets and novelists. She rejects the implication that learning difficulties, sexual identity and lacking confidence equate to no literary future, believing that unique minds around the world possess a refreshing and enlightening perspective. 

Alaw believes that attention doesn’t equate to impact and implores young poets not to give up. She said: 

“One view has made a difference. As long as someone hears what you have to say, it holds importance.” 

Her personal experiences and independent explorations of life and politics have guided her success in this internationally prestigious poetry competition for 11 to 17-year-olds. 

Alaw’s poem, ‘The Patriot’s Manifesto’, was awarded one of the top places out of more than 28,000 submissions. She is an inspirational symbol for young people everywhere, conveying the importance of self-belief, creativity and hard work.

The Patriot’s Manifesto 

Poem by Alaw, Greenhead College student 

A cabinet is dissolving in your mouth 
tuck benches under tongues, you feel it fizzing 
like the lighter melting a hole, in 88 covered bus seats 
growing bravery, hot damp enclosures 
where only British-bred infantry breach the threshold, 
rifles blazing – through council estates 
how long until that jawbreaker splits? 
lead pipes pinning kneecaps 
shin splints crushing steel-toed boots 
red ladder laces running circles round 
the jean zipper running along your cheek 
youth republic of public indecency 
precious are the mercury fillings 
clicking against chewing gum bubbles 
flat-packed red and blue pride 
printed on the side of your uncle’s Ford Transit 
while he drives through Bradford 
you big girl, wagging off history, to scare grandmas off the top deck 
playing with pocket knives that lock in place 
and boys who only speak code 
about trapping birds across county lines 
emptying your piggy banks for this 
to wash house keys for this 
just in time to watch your mum snub out a fag on the screen 
when Farage is on Look North 
this country belongs to you now; it’s up to you to keep it this way 
like your dad does on his suspended sentence 
like your uncle’s duty to his GBH on the terrorist stood in Tesco’s 
you heard that child molesters huddle in front of hotels 
running gangs to ship girls like you overseas 
turn you into one of them too 
that the boy you sit next to in form is engaged to a girl who can’t write yet 
but you are told 
we are preserving British culture 
so they can’t take away our Friday night takeaways 
so you can stay in empty beds and sticky backseats 
our pride spiralling round streetlights 
your civil war against civilised society 
our National Front against our next-door neighbours