The Schools Writing Trail was in situ around Manchester City Centre from 1-15th June 2023 across 8 venues and featured young writers from 40 different schools across Greater Manchester. Now that the Trail has ended, we have digitised the artwork and writing here as a trail archive to be visited again and again.

The Schools Poetry Competition has been running annually since 2017, when it was launched by former University Chancellor and poet, Lemn Sissay. It encourages children to use poetry as a way of exploring the world around them and a means of self-expression.

Each year, students are invited to draft poems relating to a particular theme, with this year’s being the ‘science around us’. After the first drafts are submitted, MA and PhD creative writing students from the University mentor the school students on revising and editing their poems. School students then submit their finished poems to the competition for a chance to win prizes.

Download and read the excellent work by these young stars below.