Friday 24 October 2008

IRISH TED HUGHES WINNERS



PHOTO FROM THE EVENING COURIER

This is a really cute, feel-good story.

Two little Irish brothers, Dualtagh and Hugo Grundy, who now live in Yorkshire, were joint first prize winners in the Ted Hughes Young Poets' Award, adjudicated by UK Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.

They were on the News the other night with their Mom, Siobhán, and their three little brothers, one of whom is called Atticus. Atticus Grundy! The cuteness of it!

Hugo, six, wrote 'A Town of Trees'. He said: "I got the idea from a book I'm reading called The Hobbit." He's six years old and reading Tolkien!

Dualtagh, who is seven, wrote 'Picking Bilberries'. "I was inspired to write it when I went walking in Cragg Vale," he said. "I would like to be a poet when I grow up." I betcha he will be, too.

Andrew Motion said, "I have never read such amazingly good poems. They are so attentive to the world. They have alive ears."

Articles here and here.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

thank you very much for your lovely words of praise. Funny you should mention their names (a lot of negative remarks on Halifax Courier's feedback, so thank you). We hope Atticus lives up to his name.

best Wishes from the boys' mom. xx

Group 8 said...

Oh wow, it's lovely of you to drop by. My two sons have unusual-ish Irish names too, so I know all about the comments that can be made etc.
Your boys are a credit to you and their Dad. I love their names -they listed them all out on the news. It's just so heart-warming to hear good news and for it to be about young writers too. Congrats to you all. Nuala x

Unknown said...

Hi Nuala. Have been following your blog since you so nicely featured our 2 little sons in October. I just wanted to say how fantastic your blog is and so inspiring when you're far from home.
We all wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Best Wishes
Siobhan (Dualtagh, Hugo, Atticus, Oisin and Bruno)

Group 8 said...

Siobhán, It's lovely of you to drop by again and I'm glad you like the blog.
I hope Dualtagh and Hugo are continuing to write. I came 2nd in a national poetry comp when I was ten, and I'm writing full time, so you can tell them that. If they stick at it, they may well choose it as a career too. (It's not very lucrative, of course, but I love it.)
Nollaig shona to you, Siobhán, and to Adrian, Dualtagh, Hugo, Atticus, Oisín and Bruno from Nuala, Finbar, Cúán and Finn x x x x