RECOGNITION AWARD FOR REPTONIAN IN NATIONAL CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

Bella C (4G), a Year 9 Repton pupil, has received a recognition award in a national writing competition for her poem ‘Chess’ which addresses racial inequality and injustice in the wake of the Black Lives Matters movement.

Recognising the need to support young people’s mental health, the Bupa Foundation partnered with the National Literacy Trust and Mind to encourage students to take part in the creative competition and use writing as a tool to convey emotion and improve mental wellbeing. The Beyond Words anthology is a collection of outstanding creative work from young people across the nation whose writing captures their experience of living through a year like no other.

Bella has spoken about the inspiration and influences behind her poem, saying: "I drew on the anecdotes of my parents and late grandparents, who grew up with segregation. My parents came to the UK on university scholarships and so it was interesting to hear of their lived experiences, as well as to watch the global reaction to the murder of George Floyd and the groundswell of support for the Black Lives Matter movement in its wake. Their experience and guidance has been instrumental in helping me to articulate my thoughts."  

"Mr Miller has really nurtured my interest in writing in a way that no other teacher has previously. I love writing and find it a useful means of expressing my feelings."

Bella has been praised by Repton’s Head of English, Mr Ben Miller, for her “sensitive and stunning” work and was put forward to receive a Headmaster’s Commendation. Bella engenders the Reptonian spirit; as well as being an accomplished writer, she is a dedicated sportswoman with a particular talent for hockey.