The annual Poetry Competition organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and the Gibraltar Chronicle, attracted a total of 233 entries.

HE The Governor Lt Gen Ed Davis CB CBE and The Minister for Culture, the Hon Steven Linares MP, presented the awards on Tuesday 13th November 2018 at 4.30pm at the Convent.

Overall Winner and Best Poem in the Spanish Language: Levi Attias ‘Esclavo en La Infancia’

Overall Runner-Up: Elena Scialtiel ‘Guilty Dark Pleasures’

Winner Best Poem in English Language Category: Rebecca Faller ‘The Quandary’

Spanish Poem Runner-Up: Mark Montovio

Spanish Poem Highly Commended: Bathsheba Peralta ‘Mi Niñez’

Winner School Years 4 – 5:

Shimon Reuben from the Hebrew Primary School ‘The Night’

Runner Up:

William Felice from Bishop Fitzgerald Middle School ‘Yellow, Yellow’

Highly Commended:

Dylan Parker from St Joseph’s Middle School ‘Mr Negative’

Winner School Years 6 – 7:

Alana Sacarello from St Joseph’s Middle School ‘Fruit!’

Runner Up:

Isabelle Ramos from St Bernard’s Middle School ‘Shifting Seasons’

Winner School Years 8 – 11:

Louis Bruce from Prior Park School ‘The Piano’

Runner Up

Pierre Leroy from Bayside Comprehensive School ‘Alameda’

Highly Commended

Gabriel DeVincenzi from Bayside Comprehensive School

Winner School Years 12 – 13:

Carmen Anderson from Westside Comprehensive School ‘All Make of Shoes’

The overall winner received a £500 cash prize and a trophy whilst the entry for the Best Poem in the English Language received a £50 cash prize and a trophy donated by the Ministry of Culture. The winners in each school year category also received a trophy donated by the Ministry of Culture, as well as a voucher and a pen kindly donated by the Gibraltar Chronicle.

All winning entries will be published in the Gibraltar Chronicle.

The Prize winners in the Bookmark Competition are:

Overall Winner : Mia Hook, St Anne’s Middle School

Winner School Years 4– 7 : Mia Hook, St Anne’s Middle School

Winner School Years 8 – 13 : Erin Brion, St Bernard’s School

Adult Winner : Geraldine Martinez

Highly Commended:

Daniella Dian Mead

Adrianne Duarte

Danille Gafan

Jeanette Newnham

Sara Rumford Morejon

Kate Piñer

All runner up and highly commended winners in both competitions, also received their corresponding certificates from the Ministry for Culture and a pen.

Commenting on the competitions Mr Linares said:

‘The Poetry and Bookmark Competition gives another dimension to culture and adds a literary angle to HM Government autumn cultural programme. I am extremely pleased with the high number of entries, but more importantly, with the quality of the entries.

I would like to thank everyone involved in this venture, including the Gibraltar Chronicle, the Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group, the Department of Education and especially the adjudicators who judges both competitions. However, I would like especially thank the many individuals who put pen to paper and in doing so allowed us to enjoy their excellent work.’