Kids News Bushfire Poetry Competition

One year on from the start of Black Summer, Kids News is launching the Bushfire Poetry Competition.

Kids News wants children and teenagers around the country — and particularly those in fire-affected regions — to share their experiences of the fires, then and now in a poem.

The poem might be a 'thank you' to firefighters, a tribute to all that was lost or a celebration of your own or your community’s resilience. It might be about how the fires looked and smelt, how you felt back then, or how you feel now, looking back at last summer.

Two poems — one from a primary school student and one from a secondary school student — will be selected to be included in a special book to commemorate the Black Summer bushfires.

The book, a joint project between HarperCollins Publishers, News Corp Australia and the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, will capture the experiences of the people and communities affected by the fires — in photos and stories of courage, perseverance and recovery.

Poem entries cannot be more than 200 words (1400 characters). You will need your teacher or parent/guardian to submit your entry for you, as well as permission from your parent or guardian. Entries close at 5pm on February 20, 2021.

Enter the Kids News Bushfire Poetry Competition here