The Northern Echo's Schools' Poetry Competition

The Northern Echo appealed to all secondary schools in the region to get involved and to get their pupils writing a poem to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

The war inspired some of the greatest poems in the English language and it was the current generation's turn to put their thoughts and feelings in words.

The winner, 14-year-old Olivia Skilbeck was chosen by a panel of experts and received the latest iPad. The top ten poems were included in a special edition of The Northern Echo published on Remembrance Sunday – November 9.

Click here to read Olivia's poem, Blood on the Battlefield, along with work by the other finalists.

The competition, which is now closed to entries received a huge response from schools across the region and you can read their poems below.

Click on the title to read the full poem

The Devil’s Prisoner

By Sasha Griffiths
Hurworth Secondary
Aged 14

I’m A Soldier

By Chloe Lowes
2344 (Longbenton) Air Cadets
Aged 14

Was It?

By Joseph Hodgson
2344 (Longbenton) Air Cadets
Aged 16

Oh! How I Love to Fly

By Emilia Ross
2344 (Longbenton) Air Cadets
Aged 14

The Darkness Has Ended

By George Ferguson
2344 (Longbenton) Air Cadets
Aged 14

Thanks-giving

By Jonathan Vickers
2344 (Longbenton) Air Cadets
Aged 19

Sleep Lonely

By Hilton Home
Hurworth School
Aged 14

Mortem (death)

By Amy and Sam Forster
Bishop Barrington
Aged 15 & 13 (brother and sister)

Untitled

By Connor Elston
Greenfield Community and Arts College
Aged 13

My Country

By Ginalee Brownson
Bishop Barrington
Aged 14

I Love You Dear

By Lewis Elgy
Bishop Barrington
Aged 13

This Is The Truth

By Jordan Bambridge, Kyle O'Donnell, Alex Harrison
Greenfield Community and Arts College
Aged 13

Victory

By Joshua Walker and Joshua Hay
Greenfield Community and Arts College
Aged 13

Tom

By Shannon Banks Katie Lovelass and Rachel Lovelass
Greenfield Community and Arts College
Aged 13

Voices

By Rachel Bremner
Greenfield Community and Arts College
Aged 13

A War Diary

By Aidan Wong and Aidan Robson
Greenfield Community and Arts College
Aged 13