Introducing our 2025 poets laureate
Congratulations to Max and Ayeshah, who will take up their posts as our West Yorkshire Young Poets Laureate 2025.
Max was appointed in the year four category with his poem Seven Things Found in my Mum’s Amazon Delivery. While in the year nine category, Ayeshah was appointed with her poem Primadonna.
Both Max and Ayeshah wowed judges, including National Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, to become this year's winners after taking part in our West Yorkshire Poet Laureate programme. The will be handed the laureate batter from the previous appointments, Alina and Isabelle, who took part in our inaugural programme during 2023.
Year four category poet laureate
Max
"Hi my name is Max, I am 9 years old, I live near Pontefract with my mum, my dad my two cats and two fish.
My favourite lesson at school is PE and I especially enjoy playing cricket. I like to watch Leeds Knights play ice hockey and the greatest football team in the world Leeds United. I don’t enjoy tidying my bedroom!
I enjoy reading Horrible Histories books especially about World War 1 & 2. I like Indian and Italian food but I definitely do not like sprouts (who does?)
I felt happy and proud when I found out I was Young Poet Laureate! When I wrote my poem I tried to make it as funny as possible because I think that is what I am best at and I wanted people to enjoy it.
I am looking forward to working with lots of new friends that I have already gained through poetry and making the most of the of the time as laureate."
Read Max's poem below: Seven Things Found in my Mum's Amazon Delivery
Year nine category poet laureate
Ayeshah
"My hobbies include chess, watching films and reading. I like cats, pasta, jazz and Summer. My favourite colour is red and my favourite restaurant is Istanbul Restaurant.
My favourite book is either 'The Brothers Karamazov', 'Catcher in the Rye', 'All Quiet on the Western Front' or 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. My favourite writer is possibly Dostoyevsky. I am planning to next read 'Tuesdays with Morrie'.
My thoughts on being appointed the Young West Yorkshire Poet Laureate? It was a real surprise to me, and I am now sincerely grateful for it!"
Read Ayeshah's poem below: Primadonna
Full list of our shortlisted young poets
Thank you to all the young poets in schools across West Yorkshire for taking part and a huge congratulations to our incredible shortlisted young poets, who wowed us with their talent both in writing and performing poetry!
All shortlisted pupils, including the chosen poets laureate have been published in West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate Anthology: 2024-2025, which is available on Amazon.
Year 4 category
- Max (appointed) with his poem Seven Things Found in my Mum's Amazon Delivery
- Oriana with her poem The Gravity
- Alex with his poem Morning Rush
- Isaac with his poem The Wonder's of Winter
- Varyan with his poem Break Down
- Aizah with her poem A Fox's Dream Job
Year 9 category
- Ayeshah (appointed) with her poem Primadonna
- Fumnaya with her poem Let Me Feel
- Tristan with his poem Silence
- Isobelle with her poem The Mask I Wear
- Oliver with his poem Solitude in Society
- Aaron with his poem Silent Struggles
- Emma-Rose with her poem Chains of Daisies
- Harry with his poem The Songbird's Lament
- Natalia with her poem Media Control
- Zeeshan with his poem Expectations
- Nisha with her poem What Will They Think?
Our previous West Yorkshire Poets Laureate
Alina - year four category
Alina, from Dewsbury, was inspired to write her poem, Mr Callaghan’s Class when she read The Puffin Book of Fantastic First Poems, some of which were about school life. In her spare time, Alina enjoys going to Crow Nest Park and Dewsbury Library. On poetry, Alina wants aspiring young poets to know that poetry is fun and you can write poems about anything! When she grows up, Alina wants to be a doctor.
Isabelle - year nine category
Isabelle, from Bradford, wrote her poem, Muse about her relationship with her mum, and she believes that with poetry, you shouldn’t feel like you need to hold back. Isabelle would like to use her confidence and ability to be a leader to help people in the future. She likes living in Bradford due to its incredible diversity, which enables a better understanding of other people and cultures.
About our West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate programme
In 2023 we partnered with the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin and National Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to inspire the next generation of young poets in West Yorkshire with a week of poet-led school activities and a subsequent programme to appoint the first-ever Young Poets Laureate for West Yorkshire. We delivered the second round of the programme this year. Entries were judged in two categories for year 4 and year 9.