2022
Short story & Poetry competition
I can and
I will
The Hammersmith & Fulham Festival Short Story & Poetry Competition 2022 is now closed for entries inspired by the theme: ‘I Can and I Will’.
Congratulations to all our winners and runners up in the 2022 short story and poetry competition on the theme: This is Me – Hear My Voice.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a piece.
Short Shorty winner: Emma Lindsey – Adriatic Car Wash
Runner up: Hannah Dadd – Incomplete
Poetry winner: Giulia Sofia Maria Golgojan – I can and I Will, Tré Chambers – I am a World Reader, Corina Ujeniuc – Choosing Against My Will
Runner up: Marcel Bautista Marco – The Universe, Muhammad Stockdale – I Can and I Will, Axel Santos – Bare with Me
POETRY WINNERS & RUNNER-UPS

I CAN and I WILL…
I come to school to learn and grow.
There is so much I want to know.
I can write, I can read.
I will love to do it free.
I can leap, I can skip.
I will learn to do a flip.
I can dance, I can sing,
I will learn to do a song.
I can swim like a fish,
I will learn more of this.
I can do the split,
And if at first, I don’t succeed.
I will try, try and try again.

THE UNIVERSE
I can go on a rocket and get a star.
I will choose the best one of them all.
I can touch the sun with my hand.
I will see the sunshine lighting fire.
I can jump on the moon
and bring a moon rock back with me.
I will go around the moon jumping happily.
I can fly to Mars and build a skate park.
I will explore the red land.

I AM A WORLD READER
I am a world reader,
I am a football player,
I am a cricket player,
I am the top mathematician,
I am a long distance runner,
I am a creative artist,
I am a gamer in life,
I am the master of hard work,
I know everything there could be,
I can and I will be the only Tre like this


I can and I will
Every morning when the sun breaks,
I wake up feeling brill.
’Cause in my heart I know one thing:
I can and I will.
I can and I will,
Get better at Maths.
While prime numbers remain a problem,
I’ll find new paths.
I can and I will,
Get over my stage fright.
Practise reading and acting,
Till everything’s alright.
I can and I will,
Get past fears of failing.
Stumbling’s part of the plan,
It’s never clear sailing.
I can and I will,
Find the right words when I need ’em.
Move the panic aside;
Create order from mayhem.
I can and I will,
Try not to forget tasks.
Keep better focus,
And hope concentration lasts.
I can and I will,
Keep enjoying my tennis.
Though I should probably warn you-
On the court I’m a menace!
I can and I will,
Continue to be helpful.
It doesn’t matter who they are-
Lend a hand when its stressful.
So… Each evening when the sun sets,
I put my head down and chill.
’Cause in my heart I know one thing:
I can and I will.

Choosing against my will
I have to log off or i’ll die
Desperately says a kid to his mum
While paying his game online
And that made me think
I have to log off or i’ll die…
I’ll lose the smell of flowers
If I only watch them on Instagram
I’ll miss the hugs of people
If I only see them on Facebook
I’ll forget how my family laughs
If I only watch comedy on YouTube
I’ll lose the sense of feeling
If I only read books online
I’ll forget how to create memories
If I only contemplate at the ones on my hard drive
I’ll forget how to move
If the only sports I see is on TV
I’ll lose the joy of meeting someone
If the only way I meet them is on Zoom
I’ll forget how to make silly faces
If I only send emojis on WhatsApp
I will lose the notion of Truth
If i only get my news from Twitter
I need to log off so i can live

THE WILDE FOUNDATION H&FWF 2023 COMPETITION WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON
Competition Terms & Conditions
The rules for the 2023 Short Story & Poetry Competition have not yet been finalised but will be similar to those from the previous years. Please check the rules again after the 2023 competition has been launched.
The start date for the Short Story Competition will be announced soon.