19 Aug The story of success: Talented Essex teen wins Rotary Young Writer Competition
A talented young poet from Burnham-on-Crouch is celebrating after winning the Rotary Young Writer Competition 2023/24.
Alisha, a pupil at Ormiston Rivers Academy, moved judges with a powerful poem exploring change, told from the perspective of a transgender person wrestling with their own sense of identity and the discrimination of others.
The poem was a response to this year’s competition theme of ‘rebuilding’, which is a central theme of Rotary’s community work across the globe.
Sponsored by Burnham-on-Crouch & Dengie Hundred Rotary, Alisha was one of three winners on the night, triumphing in the Senior category for young people aged 14-to-17.
The Rotary Young Writer competition encourages young people to be creative, hone their writing ability and connect with their imagination. On her path to victory, Alisha demonstrated all these skills by triumphing in local heats and district finals, ahead of the national final.
This year’s final was judged by Charlotte Vaughan, manager at Kenilworth Book Shop, and prize-winning poet Chris Campbell, both of whom were blown away by the inventiveness of Alisha’s writing.
Chris Nutt from Burnham-on-Crouch & Dengie Hundred Rotary said: “We’re very proud to have sponsored Alisha’s journey at the Rotary Young Writer Competition 2023/24. The poem is the work of an incredible talented young person well deserving of winning the competition. We can’t wait to see what comes next!”
