Chesham's Got Talent!
Calling all creative writers and would-be poets! Chesham4Fairtrade is challenging the people of Chesham and the Chilterns to write a poem about Fairtrade, to help celebrate Chesham's first five years since becoming the first Fairtrade Town in Buckinghamshire. Wannabe local poets are being given the chance to win prizes of book vouchers and Fairtrade chocolates.
Not only that, there is the chance to read your poem, or have your poem read, at a special awards evening at the Elgiva next year. The inclusive theatre company, Shed@thePark are involved in promoting the competition and will be leading a day's workshop on poetry and Fairtrade at Thomas Harding Junior School later this month.
This latest initiative of Chesham4Fairtrade was partly inspired by local poet and musician, Susan Lacey. In the last two years, Susan has turned her talents to writing poetry about the increasing hope which Fairtrade offers to millions of poor farmers and workers in the developing world (see poem below).
The overall winning prize of the poetry competition is still a closely-guarded secret and the overall winner will only be announced on the night. This poem will then be used by Shed@thePark Theatre Company in one of their performances in 2010. Winning poems from the five age categories and those which achieve a second or commended placing will also be displayed (space permitting) at Chesham Library.
The four judges of the poetry competition met recently to decide on the prizes and begin planning the awards evening. Cally Foster (Speech & Drama Teacher, Examiner and Adjudicator), Mairi Lubelska (student at Chesham High School and FT student rep), Susan Lacey (local poet and Head Judge) and Nicola Hobbs (student at Chesham Park Community College) can be seen in the above photo.
Chairman of Chesham4Fairtrade, Rev. Colin Cartwright commented,
"I am very grateful to our four judges and our volunteer co-ordinator, Jessy Roope. I know there is a lot of untapped creative talent out there in Chesham, both among schoolchildren and among the adult population. I look forward, with our four judges, to reading the poems and to seeing how the good news of Fairtrade has inspired local people to make a difference in our world by supporting farmers in the developing world when they go shopping."
Rules of the poetry competition are available from the Town Hall, Chesham Library or can be downloaded here (PDF, 112 KB).
The deadline for the competition is 31st January 2010.
A Fairer Way of Life
There is more than enough to go round,
The seed, the vegetable, the fruit divine,
The soil could be full to overflowing,
And the selling of produce be fair and kind.
Hunger should never raise its head,
Or abound in any place,
If we shared goods and profits evenly,
Look at all the wonder we could trace.
Whether coffee, tea or chocolate,
From the growers to the hands,
A much fairer way of life would sweep,
Throughout near and distant lands.
Everyone would raise a smile,
And have enough for their needs,
Fair trade for all flesh and blood,
In the sowing of the seeds.
Written by Susan Lacey - 2008
Published: 12 November 2009