Pupil's poem alongside luminaries'

Editor Paula Green at East Taieri School on Thursday morning. Photos by Gregor Richardson.
Editor Paula Green at East Taieri School on Thursday morning. Photos by Gregor Richardson.
Adam Scammell with A Treasury of New Zealand Poems for Children, which contains his poem The...
Adam Scammell with A Treasury of New Zealand Poems for Children, which contains his poem The Orchard.
A Treasury of New Zealand Poems for Children.
A Treasury of New Zealand Poems for Children.

Adam Scammell still can't quite believe he is a published poet, with his work featuring in the same book as such well-known writers as James K. Baxter, Joy Cowley, Sam Hunt and Margaret Mahy.

The 11-year-old East Taieri School pupil has had his poem The Orchard published in a new book called A Treasury of New Zealand Poems for Children, which recently hit bookshop shelves around the country.

Adam said he wrote the poem last year (when he was 10) after his class was prompted by their teacher to write a poem about an orchard.

''I wasn't very keen at poetry, but I gave it a go.''

His poem was entered by the school in the First Fabulous Poetry Competition, run by poet Paula Green and Random House, and it was one of 20 from around the country selected to be published in the Treasury.

His was one of more than 2000 entries.

''Somehow it got in.

''I was really surprised to see it in the book. I'm not normally the guy that writes poetry.

''I'm the first person in my family who's ever had anything published.''

The Treasury was illustrated by Jenny Cooper and edited by Ms Green, who is touring the country at the moment to celebrate poetry by, and for, children in New Zealand.

She visited East Taieri School last Thursday.

Among the poetry is work by Arrowtown School pupil Becky Reid, Remarkables School pupils Lachlan Boniface and Max Simpson, and New Zealand poets, including James K. Baxter, Joy Cowley, Ruth Dallas, Janet Frame, Jon Gadsby, Denis Glover, Roger Hall, Sam Hunt, Margaret Mahy, Bill Manhire, Katherine Mansfield, Cilla McQueen, Kyle Mewburn, Hone Tuwhare and Sue Wootton.

Adam said he had been inspired by his success, and had written several more poems since the book was published.

But he was not planning on forging a career in poetry, like Sam Hunt, he said.

''I don't think there's a career in it for me. I'm a one-hit wonder.''

 


The Orchard
by Adam Scammell (10)

 

It is all calm until the wind starts to moan like
a dog howling in pain,
leaves are rustling like tin foil getting stood on,
the trees are as big as a dinosaur flapping
its wings,
in the orchard.


 

 

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