Schoolgirl’s delight after her poem set in a world that is ‘one humongous never-ending beach’ wins award

She has always loved putting pen to paper, and now little Lola Hopkins can proudly say she is a published writer.

The eight-year-old wordsmith from Thornage, near Holt, wrote a poem called Island which is to be included in an online anthology.

Lola, who is in Year 3 at Blakeney Primary School, said she was thrilled about the honour, which she found out about on her eight birthday.

She said: 'I felt extremely proud, I've never won a poetry competition before. It was a big surprise.

'I've always loved writing stories, plays, jokes and poems, I like making things rhyme too.'

Lola said poetry ran in the family.

She said: 'My dad is a poet, and he's written a book, so I think I get it from him.

'I just really like poetry because something about having to make your poem rhyme is quite special.'

To be included in the anthology, Lola's poem won second place in a seven-to-11 category in the Felix Dennis Young Poets Prize, a competition run by the Stratford Literary Festival.

The panel of judges included renowned children's author Tracey Corderoy.

Lola said Island was about a person who was: 'On a beach in a different world'.

She said: 'It's meant to be about this world, which is one humongous never-ending beach. I wrote it because I had nothing to do and that's when I like to use my imagination.

'Then my mum found it, and she sent it off to this national poetry competition without me knowing.'

Anna Macdonald, Lola's mum, said she was delighted about Lola's success.

She said: 'We are so proud of Lola's achievement.

'She loves to read and can often be found writing stories, plays and poems.

'Blakeney Primary, where she attends, is a small, village school without a dedicated library space.

'At the moment the pupils and the Parent, Teacher and Friends Association are raising funds to build a library for the school - we hope we can succeed and we hope to see Lola's poem on the shelves.'

Island - by Lola Hopkins

You can hear the sea, you can see the sea, and you smell the sea,

You can see the beach of an island,

There is nothing: just sea, sand and blue sky.

You are missing something,

You think: what is it?

You are forgetting yourself, other people,

But you do not know that.

There is nothing else in the world,

Just a beach, no birds, no wildlife, nor animals.

You are the only person

You cannot just make another person.

So you believe.

To find out more about the poetry competition, visit www.stratfordliteraryfestival.co.uk/article/young-poets-competition-2018