Putney impresses in Poetry Festival 2023

The Poetry Festival 2023 gave our finalists the opportunity to perform their selected work to staff, students and parents -- and this year did not disappoint!

The English Department was thrilled with the quality of the poems, with subjects ranging from caterpillars to cuckoo clocks. It was a huge pleasure to welcome Lily Blacksell as our adjudicator.

Lily is an alumna and published poet, who recalled fond memories of performing in the Poetry Festival herself. She took part in our festival every year from Year 7 to 13, and she has been singing its praises and feeling its benefits ever since!

Lily was extremely complimentary about the standard of work and read aloud Richard Wilbur’s poem, ‘The Writer’, a suitably inspiring choice. We wholeheartedly endorse her passionate encouragement to ‘keep writing’!