Accra High SHS wins maiden Ladé Wosornu students poetry contest
Accra High School emerged winner of the maiden edition of the Ladé Wosornu Students Poetry Contest, an initiative designed to promote the appreciation of Ghanaian poetry and indigenous languages among students.
The competition, which forms part of the government's Black Star Experience programme, was held at the National Children's Library at Airport, Accra, and brought together six senior high schools from the capital.
They were Accra High School, Accra Girls Senior High School, Ebenezer Senior High School, Labone Senior High School, St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School and Wesley Grammar School.
The annual literary programme is an initiative of the Creative Arts Agency in partnership with the Ghana Library Authority and the Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA), with support from the Professor Ladé Wosornu Trust.
It seeks to honour and immortalise renowned Ghanaian poet and literary icon Professor Ladé Wosornu while nurturing the next generation of literary talents through poetry performance and appreciation.
As part of the contest, participating schools creatively presented Raider of the Treasure Trove, a poem written by Professor Ladé Wosornu, in both English and Ga. Contestants were also tested on their understanding of the poem through a series of questions.
After a keenly contested competition, Accra High School was adjudged the overall winner, with Accra Girls SHS placing second and Wesley Grammar School taking third position.
Accra High School also won the Most Creative Group Award, while Wesley Grammar School picked up the award for Best Ga Presentation. Accra Girls SHS was recognised for Best English Presentation.
In the individual category, Awura Oforiwaa was named Student Spoken Word Artist of the Contest for her outstanding performance.
According to organisers, the Ladé Wosornu Students Poetry Contest is one of the flagship modules under the Creative Arts Agency's "Grow the Artist-in-Me!" project and a branch of the broader "Ladé Wosornu Literary Nest" initiative announced last year by the Agency's Acting Executive Secretary, Mr Gideon Aryeequaye.
The programme is expected to expand to the regional level in subsequent editions before culminating in a national championship featuring winners from across the country.
Organisers say the initiative aligns with Professor Ladé Wosornu's long-standing advocacy for the preservation and promotion of indigenous Ghanaian languages while encouraging young people to embrace literature and creative expression.
The maiden edition received support from the Ghana Tourism Development Company, National Film Authority, Yumvita Ghana, Apple Man Ghana and Breathing Art Studio.
Following the success of the pilot event, organisers have expressed optimism that the contest will become a major platform for discovering and nurturing young literary talents across Ghana.
