Young poet has starring role in Shropshire Council’s Platinum Jubilee Beacon event

A prize-winning young poet who developed a passion for poetry during Lockdown has a starring role at Shropshire Council’s Platinum Jubilee Beacon lighting event on Thursday (2 June 2022).

Maria Shah, 10, from Whitchurch, was inspired by Jubilee events to write her poem “My Day with The Queen”

Maria Shah

Now Maria, a pupil at Whitchurch Junior School, has been invited to read her verse aloud to entertain civic guests at Shropshire Council’s Jubilee Beacon lighting ceremony at Laura’s Tower in Shrewsbury Castle, and her words will be shared on a livestream from Shropshire Council’s Facebook page.

Vince Hunt, Shropshire Council’s Chairman, who is leading the ceremony, said:-

“We are all delighted that Maria put pen to paper and created this charming poem. As soon as we heard what she had done we wanted to include her in our celebration, and what better way than to invite her to read it aloud at the event.”

Maria, who is also a young carer for her twin sister Shaira, developed a love of poetry when she was being home-schooled during Lockdown.

“My Day with The Queen” by Maria Shah

Her mum, Marina, explained:-

“Maria throws herself 100 per cent into everything she does and she developed an interest in poetry when we were home-schooling.

“Her first poem, inspired by the pandemic, was called ‘Nature Against Covid’, and she was among the top 12 in a national competition for that. She then went on to win first prize in Whitchurch’s Caldecott Festival competition this spring.

“Maria met the Lord Lieutenant when she won that award, and also when she was presented with a bronze award for completing all her badges at Beavers; and has now completed all her Cub Scout badges, which means she qualifies for a silver award, so she wrote a letter and also shared her poem with her. She is so excited to have been invited to read it at Shrewsbury Castle.”

Shropshire Council is hosting a small civic ceremony to light the Jubilee Beacon which will be streamed live on Shropshire Council’s Facebook page from 9.30pm on Thursday (2 June 2022).

Shropshire Council’s libraries service commissioned local writer Kate Innes to write a poem to celebrate the Jubilee. Funded by Libraries Connected, it is called “Her Constancy”, and will be read at the event by David Wright of Shropshire Drama Company, and can be read at Shropshire Council’s libraries countywide.