A SCHOOLGIRL who won a competition to read her poignant war poem in front of hundreds of people in Durham Cathedral is encouraging others to enter.

Olivia Williams, from Hartlepool, read out her prize-winning poem The Eternal Day in the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Cathedral last year.

At the event military veterans, the emergency services and the public pay tribute to military personnel and civilians who died in the Great War and intervening years.

She said: "My poem was about the last moments of a soldier’s life in the trenches and it was such an honour to be chosen to read it in front of so many people in such a wonderful place like Durham Cathedral.

“It was so interesting learning about the war at school and writing the poems helped us all really think about the emotions of those kinds of situations. I would encourage anyone in year five or six to have a go themselves at writing a poem this year.

"It’s fun to do, you learn something about our history and if you win it’s an amazing experience reading it as part of the Festival of Remembrance.”

The poetry competition is free to enter open to any child currently in Key Stages two or three at a school in the Diocese of Durham area and the theme for this year’s entries is The Return.

Head of Education at Durham Cathedral, Charlotte Rowbotham said: “The title The Return is a general guide but we’re offering the option of children thinking about how they would feel returning from war themselves or to imagine that they are waiting for a relative to return.”

The winner will read their poem at the Festival of Remembrance Concert at Durham Cathedral with the winner, runners up and highly commended poems being featured in a booklet which will be handed out during the concert.

Closing date for entries is Friday, October 16.

The Eternal Day

There they stand bent double,

Climbing over piles of rubble,

Looming clouds of smoke and gas,

Will this day ever pass?

No Man’s Land.

Lies in nobody’s hand.

Dreadful woes –

The whistle blows.

BANG!

This depraved war sinks its fang,

‘I hope this war is over!’

He cries – on his last gasp of air.

I lie here.

Alone and scared.

Watching this war unravel.