Meet the winners of our Poetry Competition 2024
Published on 02 September 2024
Thank you to everyone who celebrated the power of poetry with us this year and submitted an entry to our Poetry Competition 2024, responding to the theme Te Awa Kairangi / the Hutt River.
Today we are excited to announce the winning and shortlisted entries of the competition!
ADULT CATEGORY
Winners
First place: Walking in Winter beside the Hutt River by Moira Hansen
Second place: A Longtime Local by Kathryn Eagle
Third place: Flow by Adam Williamson
Shortlisted
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Torrents by Emma Walker
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Te awa, rere by Sophie Hauwaho
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Besieged by P. N. Archbald
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Hutt Rivulets by Marion Callus
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Wai Ora. by Ali Banks
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Family Portrait by Abra Sandi King
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Te Awakairangi by Jasmine Hampshire
TEEN CATEGORY
Winner: This river is my home by Jess Frew
Runner-up: The River Poem by Emily-Jane Butler
CHILDREN CATEGORY
Winners
First place: Te Awa Kairangi #3 by Rishi Dhawan
Second place: The Mighty River by Spencer Tysoe
Third place: River veins by Milo Melrose
Shortlisted
- The river that was by Violet Pepperell
- A Thread. by Persephone Hall
- The treasured river by Kevin Tang
- Te Awa Kairangi by Amelia Thayer
- Te Awa Kaha by Eva Edwards
- The Way You See Me by Bernardt Britz
- Te Awa by Dylan McGregor
Our panel of judges had the challenging task of selecting the shortlisted poems from a diverse pool of submissions. Each poem offers unique insights into how Te Awa Kairangi has shaped and played a part to members of our community.
The Poetry Competition continues to be a tradition at Upper Hutt Libraries because we want to provide a platform for budding poets in our community to shine. This competition encourages individuals of all ages to unleash their creativity and share their unique perspectives on life through the play of words. The Award Night brings our community closer together, to appreciate the talented wordsmiths amongst us.
Thank you to our returning poets and to everyone in our community who gave poetry a go for the first time. We are looking forward to your entries next year when we return with our Poetry Competition 2025.
Poetry will always be a powerful medium for human expression, weaving emotions, thoughts, and dreams into words that touch the soul.
"I would define, in brief, the poetry of words, as the rhythmical creation of beauty." – Edgar Allan Poe