Thirteen-year-old Talulah Quinto from Ross-on-Wye was revealed to be one of the top 15 winning poets in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, run by the Poetry Society and supported by The Foyle Foundation.

Run by The Poetry Society and generously supported by The Foyle Foundation, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award celebrates

its twenty-first anniversary this year. Since 1998, the Award has been finding, celebrating and supporting the very best young poets

from around the world. The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is firmly established as the leading competition for young poets

aged between 11 and 17 years old.

This year's competition for young poets, aged between 11 and 17, drew over 11,000 poems from over 6,000 young poets. Young writers from 76 countries entered the

competition, from as far afield as Vietnam, Romania, Mexico and Japan, and every corner of the UK.

As one of the top 15 winners, Talulah receives a fantastic selection of prizes to help develop her writing including a residential writing course at the Arvon residential centre in Shropshire in Spring 2020.

Maple by Talulah Quinto

They named me after a sweet tree

As if to hide my spirit

They named me after a gentle tree

As if to hide my strength

They named me after a small tree

As if I would not grow

They named me after an old tree

As if I was not young

They named me after a living tree

And I will forever live

They named me after a sleeping tree

And I will never sleep

The name they chose is perfect

It holds me young and old

Sweet and able

Gentle and bold

That tree is Maple.