SPoKE Poetry Documentary

Deadline: 25 November 2024

SPoKE Poetry is a competition where students are invited to make a short documentary exploring a single, short poem or section of a longer poem.

Any one poem may be chosen as the subject of a 5 minute film. The poem will need to be read out or the text will need to be otherwise graphically presented. The poem should be no more than 14 lines in length or could equally be a 14 line excerpt from a longer poem. The main criteria for the judges will be how the accompanying visuals (student’s own footage, graphics, animation or other techniques) reflect or complement the subject matter, themes or poetic techniques within the poem itself. The other criteria focus on technical competence: sound quality, editing, transitions and quality of images. Finally, students are asked to submit a short written commentary (500 words max) on how their film captured the power or tone of their chosen poem.

First Prize = £200

Second Prize = £100

Third Prize = £50

SPoKE Poetry 2023 Winners

  • Jannah Ali

    for ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe

  • Alice Rothwell

    for ‘Snowangels and Snowmen’ (Anon)

  • Martha Bültmann

    for ‘Farewell’ by Anne Brontë

SPoKE Poetry 2022 Winners

  • Megan Lee

    for ‘The Munich Mannequins’ by Sylvia Plath

  • Izzy Orr

    for ‘Blackberrying’ by Sylvia Plath

  • Alex Foo

    for ‘Light’ by Mitch Welling