Could Sophie be the next Seamus Heaney?

A County Fermanagh school girl has been awarded the prestigious Seamus Heaney Award for Achievement organised by the Community Arts Partnership for Northern Ireland. 

Sophie Cadden was announced as the Northern Ireland overall primary school (individual category winner).

The pupils of Primary Five in Enniskillen Model Primary School have been working hard all year with The Community Arts Partnership for Northern Ireland.

Earlier in the year they were selected, along with a cohort of schools from across N. Ireland, to take part in ‘Poetry in Motion,’ a programme developed to enhance the creative skills when engaging with poetry.

Principal, Mr Glass said: "The programme was given much impetus when a visiting poet, Teresa Kane, delivered three poetry workshops to help the children explore distinct types of poetry.

"There was a particular emphasis on creating poems that encouraged the children to use their imagination and to compose poems around the theme, ‘Write Where We Belong.’ Many of the children were able to highlight our beautiful Fermanagh and Enniskillen.

"Each child had the opportunity to draft a poem that was entered into the Seamus Heaney Award for Achievement, also organised by The Partnership. All the children had their work acknowledged.  After much engagement around the theme and the compilation of many creative poems."

He added that all in the school were delighted to hear that Sophie was named the winner of the award. 

Sophie's poem entitled, ‘My Home’ received high praise and she was delighted to become a recipient of the prestigious Seamus Heaney Award.

Impartial Reporter: Sophie Cadden a pupil at The Model Primary School, who recently won The Seamus Heaney Award for her

My Home

by Sophie Cadden

My home feels like a toasty marshmallow,

Like a hedgehog in hibernation,

Like an egg, hard on the outside but warm on the inside,

Anywhere else would be like an ‘unbloomed’ flower…

But my home is a joy and a beauty to behold.

It smells like hope and wonder,

In my home I see history, hard work and my family.

It is my force field.