We are thrilled to share that Asha Chib-Lewis (Year 12) has been named one of the Top 15 winners in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2025, one of the most prestigious international poetry competitions for young writers aged 11–17.
Asha’s poem was chosen from more than 28,000 entries submitted by over 10,000 young poets from 135 countries worldwide. The winners were announced at a special celebration at the British Library in London, attended by family, teachers, poets and literary figures from across the UK and beyond.
Speaking about her win, Asha said: “I was absolutely overjoyed to find out that my poem had been selected as one of the top 15. I really didn’t expect that it would happen and was planning to try my luck again next year. I have wanted to enter this competition for a few years now as it acts as such a valuable stepping stone into the world of writing and The Poetry Society do brilliant work in championing poets old and young alike. I’ve discovered many of my favourite writers such as Marge Piercy through their website!”
Asha explained that her poem was inspired by the surrealist art movement: “I wrote my poem as I was interested in writing in the style of a movement of art, and chose surrealism. It’s quite a playful poem, centred around a character fishing from skyscrapers and doing all sorts of unexpected things. It’s a celebration of the way art and writing allow us to create our own realities. In an age where creativity is increasingly under threat from AI, I believe it’s more important than ever to protect the joy that writing can bring.”
Looking ahead, Asha hopes to continue pursuing her passion for writing: “My dream has always been to publish my writing one day. I want to advocate for the importance of writing as a form of self-expression and connection, and share the power it can bring to people in an increasingly polarised world.”
Mrs Lloyd-Hughes, Head of English, said: “It’s an amazing achievement for Asha to have been selected as a Top 15 Winner in the globally renowned Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. To be chosen as a top winner in such a high-profile competition is simply outstanding. Asha has always demonstrated brilliant creative talent and skill, and we are so proud that her poem has been chosen from among thousands of entries worldwide. Congratulations!”
The Top 15 winners will attend a week-long residential writing course at The Hurst, guided by professional poets, to further develop their writing and creativity. All 100 winners of the competition also receive mentoring, a year’s youth membership of The Poetry Society, and a goody bag full of books.
Since its launch in 2001, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award has received over 300,000 poems and supported more than 2,700 young writers to develop their craft. Many of the biggest names in contemporary poetry, including Jay Bernard, Sarah Howe, Caroline Bird and Helen Mort, were first recognised by the award as teenagers, highlighting its remarkable impact in nurturing the next generation of writers.
At Sheffield Girls’, English is at the heart of our curriculum and central to our ethos of empowering every pupil to find her voice. Our English teachers encourage pupils to read widely, write bravely and think independently, fostering a love of literature and language that inspires creativity and confidence. Our pupils are supported to challenge convention, explore complex ideas and use their writing to express themselves with courage and originality embodying the school’s values of positivity, courage and kindness and Asha’s submission and win in this prestigious competition is a great example of that thinking.
Asha’s poem will be published in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year anthology in spring 2026, available both in print and online.
Photography credit: MaddMann Photography
