Anthology Literary Event Celebrates Creative Writing & Art at KES

Last week KES poets, writers and artists gathered for a literary evening to celebrate the launch of the eighth (delayed due to COVID) and ninth, 2021 edition of the Anthology, the School’s annual collection of poetry, short stories and artwork.

Explaining the themes and influences in this year’s Anthology, Mrs Bruton from the English department, said:

‘A century ago, the ‘Roaring 1920s’ witnessed a proliferation of literary and artistic talent, an explosion of Modernist innovation which came in reaction to the horrors of World War 1, as painters, poets and novelists sought to reinvent and redefine the visual and written medium in response to their ‘new normal’. 

‘A century on, our own ‘Roaring Twenties’ have got off to a less hedonistic start (not so many Gatsby-eque Jazz Age parties under Covid restrictions, methinks!) But don’t listen to talk of a ‘lost generation’ because the past year has shown that young people’s creativity and imagination can never be ‘locked down’. And, if KES pupils are anything to go by, it seems the horrors of the pandemic, constant redefinitions of ‘normal’, online learning, blended teaching, bubbled classrooms, even mask-wearing in lessons have not quashed creative output but are in fact prompting a resurgence of creative talent in a new Golden Decade! 

‘Inspired by our guest editor, critically acclaimed novelist Rachel Heath, pupils’ output in this year’s Anthology has seen poems written about Reflections and fiction exploring themes around Echoes. All the artwork in this ninth edition also comes from young KES artists, print makers and photographers. And for the first time, pictures and words collide in glorious fusion in an incredible ‘Black-Out Poetry’ collection.'

If you would like to purchase a copy of this year’s Anthology, or the 2020 edition, you can do so via the School’s Gateway app.  A copy will then be given to your child’s form tutor for delivery home.

Photos from the launch event can be viewed via the flickr gallery below.

Flickr album: Anthology Literary Event | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin