Hackney poet Ella wins prize in National Trust writing contest

Young poet Ella Belton-Saunders has had her work recognised by the National Trust.

Ella, a 12-year-old pupil at Clapton Girls’ Technology College, was inspired to put pen to paper for the Trust Magazine’s first ever competition, ‘Landlines’.

The charity which preserves the UK’s heritage and owns Sutton House in Hackney received more than 1,700 entries were received, written to the theme of ‘the Outdoors’.

The judges were on the look-out for poems which startled, surprised and excited. Jo Bell who is director of National Poetry Day and poet Ian McMillan ( who presents Radio 3′s The Verb whittled the poems down to just twelve placed in two categories – 16s and under and adults.

Ella’s poem was one of the commended poems in the 16s and under category. Her winning entry, The Blue Lake can be seen on http://ntmagazine.wordpress.com/ and will also be published in the National Trust Magazine in September and in an Ode to the Countryside poetry book.

She has also won a special day out with the National Trust.