Horsham teen’s poetry book published

College of Richard Collyer students Philippa Crundwell won a national poetry contest in 2013 aged only 15.

She has now had a 100-page book published of thoughtful works reflecting on world issues including war and peace, the environment and being human.

The former Millais School pupil said: “I wrote my first poem at the age of five and haven’t been able to stop writing poems, short stories and plays since.

“I’m also an ambassador for New Writing South, and one of the creators of the Writers’ Manifesto.

“I’m passionate about the importance of creative writing in education and believe writing is something that should be available to everyone everywhere.”

Steve Rudd, of the publishers, The King’s England Press, said: “Our attention was drawn to Philippa’s work and I could immediately see its merit.

“Once in a while, a poet comes along whose work surprises you. This can be for a variety of reasons.

“Seventy Beats, stands out not least because of the astonishing range of her attempts at various voices and personae other than her own, and to find it here in a writer not yet twenty years of age is nothing less than amazing.

“Most of us who write poetry look back on the work we produced in our late teens, if we can bear to look back upon it at all, with a mixture of fear, loathing and embarrassment.

“But here is an author who need fear none of that unholy triumvirate.

“While most teenagers who would admit to writing poetry at that age are producing long, formless, adolescent diatribes about forlorn love, this author is adopting the voices of two Afghan refugees, or lamenting the loss of the elephant to indiscriminate poaching.

“I am very proud that last year, in our twenty-fifth anniversary year we were able to secure the rights to publish Philippa’s work.”

Later in 2015, King England hopes to bring out a corresponding collection My Last Everything, from Joel Duncan, who is the 19-year-old Young Poet Laureate for the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale.

Philippa’s publishing achievement follows her success submitted her entry into the Ocado/Peace One Day UK-wide poetry competition in 2013.

She won a family trip to the Peace Day concert in The Hague, Netherlands with her Poem For Peace.

Her book is available through the publishers direct at www.kingsengland.com and from all major bookshops.