Yesterday we celebrated Benenden Poet Laureate Toni’s first collection of poetry with a book launch event in the Fiction Library.
Things To Tell My Firstborn Daughter is the culmination of a year’s mentoring and demonstrates Fifth (Year 10) Toni’s dedication to poetry – having spent her tenure refining her skills and crafting her writing. She read several of her poems to the audience and was accompanied by musicians Joanna, Lauren and Issy, before signing copies for staff and students.
Over the past year she has been introduced to fellow poet Theresa Lola and written two commissioned poems. She also had the opportunity recently to meet Simon Armitage, the real Poet Laureate, and attend his reading.
Head Librarian Abegail Morely, who has been working with Toni, says: “She has been an excellent ambassador for creative writing. As a poet, she is absolutely the real deal”.
Benenden’s Poet Laureate is an annual post that students can apply for. It’s highly competitive, with students filling in an application form and submitting a small body of work.
