About Us
Our aims and objectives are:
to promote an awareness of the values of equality and peace,
to encourage and promote creativity, expression and excellence through peace poetry,
to work in partnership with Leeds based organisations to create an environment for the exploration and discussion of the selected theme,
to organise peace poetry competitions annually or biennially for schools and adults in Leeds,
to encourage inclusive engagement and participation in the Leeds Peace Poetry competition,
to invite celebrated poets to preside as chief judge for each competition,
to organise a celebration event for shortlisted and winning entries of the competition,
to create a strong presence and a high profile for Leeds Peace Poetry,
to publicise the winning and highly recommended peace poems.
to promote an awareness of the values of equality and peace,
to encourage and promote creativity, expression and excellence through peace poetry,
to work in partnership with Leeds based organisations to create an environment for the exploration and discussion of the selected theme,
to organise peace poetry competitions annually or biennially for schools and adults in Leeds,
to encourage inclusive engagement and participation in the Leeds Peace Poetry competition,
to invite celebrated poets to preside as chief judge for each competition,
to organise a celebration event for shortlisted and winning entries of the competition,
to create a strong presence and a high profile for Leeds Peace Poetry,
to publicise the winning and highly recommended peace poems.
Who We Are |
Leeds Peace Poetry was established in 2003 by a group of people connected with Together for Peace, Leeds City Council - Education Leeds (now Leeds Children's Services) and Arts at Trinity. Since then, many others have become involved. We are constantly looking for volunteers from Leeds-based organisations and individuals who wish to help us to further our aims.
Currently, our steering group of ten members is made up of individuals with a track record of promoting equality and peace and with enthusiasm for Leeds Peace Poetry. Organisations represented include the University of Leeds (School of English), Leeds City Council Children's Services (Schools) and Leeds Library and Information Services. Officers are Rehana Minhas (Chair), Professor John Whale (Vice-Chair) and Richard Wilcocks (Secretary, Website) leedspeacepoetry@gmx.co.uk From a University of Leeds perspective, we have been delighted to join in with this long-standing and successful event since it coincided with the Olympics four years ago. Since then, we have had the privilege of offering the Great Hall for the prize-giving event, but from my own point of view as Co-Director of the University's Poetry Centre - and as a poet myself - this is obviously a fantastic opportunity to engage with a wider public in the making of poems. Most of our entries in the past few years have been in the Primary School category; and here we have been delighted by the enthusiasm and creativity shown by both children and teachers across the Leeds region. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the last two competitions has been the work not just of individuals, but of whole classes of children - so much so that we have added a new class category to our list of prizes. The Leeds Peace Poetry competition also, of course, gives us the chance to demonstrate how poetry matters - how it can give powerful expression to some of the key issues of our time. John Whale June 2016 The Leeds Peace Poetry Competition is a truly fantastic event, which has proved to be a catalyst and inspiration for some amazing pieces of work by people of all ages over many years. With the theme of the 2016 Leeds Peace Poetry Competition being 'refugees', I am really looking forward to reading and hearing some of this year’s entries, which could be some of the most interesting and thought-provoking yet. Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor Judith Blake June 2016 
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Simon Robert Armitage CBE, the Chief Judge is a poet, playwright, novelist, childminder and lead singer of the Scaremongers. He is Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds. On 19 June 2015, he was elected to the part-time position of Oxford Professor of Poetry. His official website is at www.simonarmitage.com/. He grew up in the village of Marsden and attended Colne Valley High School. His many poetry collections include Kid (1992), CloudCuckooLand (1997), Travelling Songs (2002), Stanza Stones (2013) and The Unaccompanied (2017). Translations include Homer's Odyssey (2006) and The Death of King Arthur (2011). Television and radio work includes From Salford to Jericho (Radio 4), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (BBC TV 2010) and The Last Days of Troy (2015 Radio 4).