​Student keeps the Faith to work wonders with words

A TALENTED RGS student has taken top prize in a prestigious competition with her poignant poem exploring love, loss and memory.

Year 10 student Faith Harford from Markington, was named winner of the Paul Hullah Poetry Prize, 2026, for In Memory.

It is a particularly special achievement for Faith, who was runner-up in last year’s competition and was selected from an exceptionally strong field of entries this year.

Dr Hullah, the distinguished poet, author and former RGS student who judges the annual competition, described the range of voices, styles and ideas as jaw-droppingly inspirational, with more submissions than ever before.

Faith was inspired by this year’s theme of ‘Noise and Silence’ to write about a music box and the contrast between the noise of life and the silence of grief.

“I really liked the idea of a musical object representing a person, so I played with that theme until I arrived at the music box representing a loved one, most likely a grandparent,” she said.

The theme also has a personal resonance for the 14-year-old, who is heavily involved in music both in and outside school.

Dr Hullah praises her as a ‘standout writer working wonders with words’, describing her entry as ‘elevated observational poetry laced with authenticity’.

He commends the way Faith uses a music box as a touching symbol of memory and loss, conveying grief with warmth and quiet restraint.

The poem initially centres on a musical object and its connection with a loved one, before developing into a wider reflection on memory, mortality and the enduring importance of human relationships.

Dr Hullah says he initially wondered whether the connection to the competition theme might be tenuous, before the closing image of the music box silently gathering dust brought the theme of noise and silence powerfully into focus.

He concludes: “You had to be there. I’m so glad you ‘kept the faith’, Faith. You’re a VERY talented writer.”

Faith, who has been writing poetry since she was very young, only began entering competitions last year.

Although she hopes to continue pursuing those interests as she gets older, the teenager, who is also involved in drama and Girlguiding, sees poetry remaining a hobby rather than a career.

She counts poet Brian Bilston among her inspirations, admiring his playful and clever style.

“I feel honoured and proud to have won this competition, and it has inspired me to keep writing poetry in years to come,” she said.

Caitlin Drummond, with Not Enough, was a joint runner-up, praised for a courageous and emotionally powerful exploration of self-doubt and the inner noise of modern life.

Also joint runner-up was Alice Beesley, whose poem Not Every Silence Is Empty was described as a mature and deeply reflective exploration of digital noise, meaningful silence and self-discovery.

Eddie Lake, with River Silence, was the third joint runner-up, with Dr Hullah praising its evocative imagery and thoughtful interpretation of silence.

Izzy Robson (Noise and Silence), Bethany Welford (Silence) and Alma Jones (Noise and Silence) were highly commended.

Dr Hullah said that every entry deserved recognition, praising the quality and variety of the writing submitted by RGS students.

“No duds. Promise and eloquence everywhere, and it is an honour to read such beautiful writing, rich in variety yet consistent in quality.”

The RGS Parents and Old Rips Prize was won by Mr Demir, RGS head of economics and business studies, for A Thousand Miles.

Dr Hullah describes the poem as an ambitious and emotionally powerful exploration of the silence within a disintegrating relationship, praising its striking honesty and remarkable poetic maturity.

He highlights the poem’s rich imagery, compelling metaphors and sustained emotional intensity, saying it created a vivid portrait of love, resentment, duty and loss.

The recurring contrast between spoken conflict and devastating silence, he said, reflected the competition theme with great sophistication.

Dr Hullah ultimately sums u\p the work as a memorable, affecting poem demonstrating considerable originality, technical skill, and an impressive command of language.

Rosemary Punshon, with The Architecture of Silence, and Sally Muir, with Threshold, were joint runners-up in the adult category.

The Paul Hullah Poetry Prize has been running at RGS since 2014 and is open to current students as well as parents and former pupils.

Dr Hullah, a former RGS student and acclaimed poet and author, returns each year to judge the competition and celebrate the school’s emerging poetic talent.

Faith's prizewinning poem:

In memory

The music box meant cookies.

freshly baked.

a warm house

floral curtains

tables carpeted with lace.

The music box meant friendship.

gentle hands

smiling eyes.

someone who would crack you up, and held you when you cried.


The music box meant comfort.

The music box meant hope.

quiet jewels of wisdom when you needed them the most.

though you still need them the most.

now the music box is hidden

with the curtains and the lace

buried in the pain.

music box

in a cardboard box

silently gathering dust.