Children’s National Poetry Prize Giving Ceremony 2009

On Friday 5th February 2010, the Maltese Poetry Association organised the Prize Giving Ceremony for the Children’s National Poetry competition for 2009 at the Guzeppi Despott hall at the Education Division in Floriana. The compére was Dr. Joseph Axiaq together with Dr. Manuel Attard Cassar who organized the competition.
In the speech for the occasion, the association’s President, Alfred Massa, said that for the past nine years the Gh.P.M gave a lot of thought to the children of today who will be tomorrow’s adults because if we instil the love of poetry today we will be sowing the seeds for the love of this beautiful art for the future. Special thanks went to the Publishing Houses Aguis and Aguis and Merlin Library of Blata l-Bajda for their sponsorship.
The judges made up of Ms. Mary Grace Caruana, Clair Zerafa and Chev. Carmel Bianchi were pleased with the number of poems which were submitted which were more than 100, also with the level of the poems. Some showed the help of the parents and also of the teachers. This year the competition was open for the last year students of primary schools and the first year students of secondary schools.
Result. 1. Refuġjat ta' Daniel Borg (Victoria, Għawdex); 2. Lil Ommi ta' Franklyn Beldacchino (M'Xlokk); 3. St. Paul's Poem ta' Laury Sam Cauchi (San Pawl il-Baħar); 4. L-Isbaħ Milied ta' Janelle Borg (Għajnsielem, Għawdex); 5. In-Nanniet Tiegħi ta' Miguel Gruppetta (Żejtun); 6. Comfort ta' Erika Harvey (Qawra); 7. Il-Fjuri ta' Maria Cassar (Xewkija, Għawdex); 8. Il-Kelb u lo-Qattus ta' Christian Vella (M'Xlokk); 9. TV Time ta' Odin Mamo (Pieta') u 10. A Puppet Called ta' Kristy Borg (Buġibba).