WITH all the exciting news surrounding the Newport Ship, and the lobbying for a permanent home for it, we are joining forces with the friends’ organisation to launch another way of celebrating this fantastic discovery.

Inspired by the poem written about the ship by the Poet Laureate for Wales, Gillian Clarke, the Friends of Newport Ship is on the lookout for talented young poets across Newport and further afield to write their own poems about the ship.

Gillian Clarke has kindly agreed to form part of the judging panel, which also includes Hallima Allam, from the University of South Wales, and Rosi Hollister, of the Friends of Newport Ship.

The best poems will be published in a booklet which will be sold to help raise more vital funds to restore and secure a future for the ship which was discovered in the river in the heart of Newport.

The South Wales Argus is delighted to help publicise this competition and to encourage as many of our young people as possible to take part.

The theme of the poem should be simply: The medieval Newport Ship.

There will be winners and runners-up in three age groups. They are:

l Key stage 2 (to age 11)

l Key stage 3 (to age 14)

l Key stage 4 (to age 16)

The lucky winners will be appointed Honorary Master (Key Stage 4 winner), Navigator ( Key stage 3) and Bosun (Key Stage 2) for the month of September 2014.

Winners and runners-up will all receive a commemorative scroll and a copy of the booklet in which their poems will be published.

The winning poems will be published in the South Wales Argus, on the wall in the Ship Centre, and on the Friends of Newport Ship blog (fonspr.wordpress.com).

Winning poems and at least three runners-up in each category will form a booklet that will be sold as a fundraising item in the Ship Shop and at events attended by the Friends.

In addition to all that, winners will be invited to ride on the Newport Ship float at Pill Carnival on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Entries should be sent to: PR@newportship.org with subject line ‘Poetry Competition’ or by letter to: Poetry Competition, Friends of Newport Ship, Unit 22, Maesglas Industrial Estate, Newport, NP20 2BB.

Please include name, age, contact email, home phone number and school attended with your entry.

The maximum length of the poem should be limited to one side of A4 paper at no smaller than 12-point font. Submissions may be hand-written and illustrated. Illustrations are welcomed for both formats.

The closing date for entries is noon, July 18, 2014, winners announced on August 8, 2014.

Terms and conditions:

1. All entries become the property of the Friends of Newport Ship who reserve the right to publish entries as seen fit to benefit the Newport Ship project.

2. Judges’ decisions are final.

3. Winners will be notified by e-mail or phone.

4. Winners and runners-up may be photographed at their award ceremony and such photographs used in ongoing publicity for the Friends of the Newport Ship.