With the opening of competitions for the Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day less than two months away, the director of Given Words, Charles Olsen, has invited the winners of the 2022 competition, Sarah-Kate Simons and Saphra Peterson, to read their poems for NZ Poetry Shelf.  

All entries had to include the five words help, different, thankful, warrior, and dream, which were chosen by girls of the Our Little Roses orphanage in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The winners were selected by Mikaela Nyman, Sophia Wilson and Charles Olsen. Their comments on the poems along with a selection of the entries by both adults and under-16s can be read on Given Words.   

On 1st August 2023, Given Words (now in its eighth year) will open with words chosen by students of López de Arenas Secondary School in Marchena, Seville, Spain. National Poetry Day competitions for 2023 will be added to the Competition Calendar during July.   

The winner of ‘Best Poem’ was Sarah-Kate Simons for her poem Prognosis.  

Winner of the ‘Best Poem by Under-16s’ was Saphra Peterson, aged 15, for her poem Doubt.  

Sarah-Kate Simons is a young poet and writer from rural Canterbury, where she lives with her adorable but troublesome Fox Terrier. She is widely published online, in magazines and in anthologies, such as Toitoi, Write On, Re-Draft, the NZ Poetry Society Anthology, and Poetry NZ Yearbook. She has also placed in several poetry and writing competitions, recently winning the 2021 HG Wells International Short Story Competition. Her other hobbies include ballet, talking to thin air and going ratting along the riverbank with her dog.  

Saphra Peterson lives in rural Canterbury but one day aspires to rule the world. She loves reading, writing, creating disturbing artwork, and running from the authorities. She can be found playing violent games of cards or contemplating her own demise. She hates writing biographies, in case you can’t tell.