Students from across Victoria answered this year’s call for poetry in remarkable numbers, sharing stories, observations, reflections and imaginative ideas through their writing and performances.
Congratulations to all the Years 11 – 12 students who have been selected as finalists in the 2026 Student Poetry Competition. Explore the finalists in each competition category below.
Years 11 – 12 Written Poetry Winner
- ‘i have eaten apple-seeds’ by Julia Wei, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
Years 11 – 12 Written Poetry Finalists
- ‘HB’ by Nicole Kassimiotis, Lauriston Girls’ School
- “Perfect” by Sarah Shelley, Flinders Christian Community College
- ‘Clementine’ by Elodie Miller, Strathcona Girls Grammar School
- ‘The Stars Knew My Name’ by Julianna Avila Daboub, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘her favourite fruit was apples’ by Maya Zeine, Genazzano FCJ College
- ‘Pomology of the Fallen’ by Sienna Vrieze, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘Learning to Land’ by Victoria Moulton, Lauriston Girls School
- ‘Shelter’ by Merilyn Nishitha, Swan Hill College
- ‘Fruits of labour’ by Annabelle Zhou, Korowa Anglican Girls School
Years 11 – 12 Written Poetry Honourable Mentions
- ‘Tales of Endless Seas – A poem inspired by The Odyssey’ by Sofia Schachter Kafel, Mount Scopus Memorial College
- ‘Forget me not’ by Kushpreet Kaur, Bacchus Marsh Grammar
- ‘Metronome’ by Alina Zheng, Melbourne Girls Grammar
- ‘Humanity as Fruits’ by Amanda Nagel, Albert Park College
- ‘Monotony’ by Liliana Costa, Christian College Geelong
- ‘The Light Through The Window’ by Bridget McKelvie, Cathedral College Wangaratta
- ‘The Chance’ by Hannah Tena, Catholic Regional College Sydenham
- ‘The Weight We Refuse to Carry’ by Tamas Spokevicius, Ballarat Grammar
- ‘Stealing a Book’ by Sebastian De Marte, Christian College Geelong
- ‘Is pizza a type of pineapple?’ by Harry Trevillyan, Tintern Grammar
Years 11 – 12 Ekphrastic Poetry Winner
- ‘Brix and other sweetness’ by Victoria Meng, Huntingtower
Years 11 – 12 Ekphrastic Poetry Finalists
- ‘the ripening’ by Annalisa Chen, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)