Poetry By Heart, National Success

We are incredibly proud to share the outstanding success of Year 13 student, Charlie Liddell, who has been crowned the national winner of the prestigious national Poetry by Heart competition for his captivating performance of ‘The Wife of Bath’ by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Charlie’s poetry journey began right here at Durham Sixth Form Centre, where he took part in our in-house Poetry by Heart competition earlier this academic year. His bold and expressive recitation, in Middle English, instantly captured the attention of the judging panel, earning him first place and a nomination to be entered to represent us at the national level.

Following a rigorous national judging process by Poetry by Heart judges, Charlie was selected to compete live at the national competition level – a truly impressive achievement. Accompanied by fellow student participants, as well as Ms Quincey and Mrs Taylor, Charlie travelled to the final at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, where he delivered a memorable and confident performance securing him the national title as KS5 winner for 2025.

This is an incredible achievement, not only showcasing Charlie’s talent and dedication, but also highlighting the power of performance and the importance of engaging with literature in a meaningful way. We express our congratulations to Charlie and thank all the students who took part in the competition and supported the journey along the way.