The John Harris Society Award

Creative writing pupils from 1^st and 2^nd years attended The John Harris Society Awards ceremony held at Kresen Kernow last Thursday. The students collectively won the John Harris Society senior school creative writing competition for responding creatively in prose, poetry and illustration to the Cornish poet’s work.

John Harris (1820-1884) was born in the Hamlet of Bolenowe near Troon; he was a Cornishman, poet, miner and Methodist preacher. His poetry and hymns focused on his life as a miner, and he wrote extensively about the countryside that inspired him, particularly Carne Brea where he lived for 35 years.

His grandsons and great-grandsons launched the John Harris Society Award to mark the 200^th anniversary of the poet’s birth and foster interest and inspiration from his work. The prize ceremony was attended by Flo M, George L and Bea H, who picked up the £1,000 prize to be used by the school to support further creative work inspired by the Cornish Community. The award was presented by Dr Tamsin Spargo and festival organiser and broadcaster Tony Jasper.

You can learn more about John Harris’s work via the John Harris Society website.