World Book Day 2020
We celebrated World Book Day in style with acclaimed poet, musician and performer Antosh Wojcik. The day began with an early morning recital in Chapel and a series of beautiful, moving poems that explored familial relationships. A book giveaway followed, our student librarians brandishing FREE BOOKS! placards as students were invited to choose from a selection of titles published to mark World Book Day 2020.
Year 10 were treated to an extended recital as Antosh talked about the power of poetry to express the unsaid, the silences in between our words. With his signature surreal style, we journeyed from backyards of Texas, through layers of Tiramisu on ski trips, to his father’s native Poland. Barney the purple dinosaur and a group of under-resourced satanists even made an appearance!
Now a staple of the Clifton calendar – the annual teachers vs students World Book Day Literature Quiz saw Antosh take on the role of quizmaster as our finalists were put through their paces with a trip down the rabbit hole that covered everything from Lockwood & Co. to Lyrical Ballads.
School House made their first ever appearance in the final, but their quizzing couldn’t quite match the lightning quick reflexes of the teachers, who were on fine form this year. Congratulations to Ms Hawkins, Mrs John, Mr Harris and Ms Clarke who won the coveted World Book Day trophy!
Ms Hawkin’s Year 12 class enjoyed an engaging poetry workshop led by Antosh to end the day on a creative high. Using a series of celebrated works of art, the group explored their own personal responses to the chromatic intensity of Bridget Riley’s Nataraja, the symbolic force of Dorothea Tanning’s sunflowers and (causing most disagreement in terms of subjective response!) Yves Klein’s blue monochrome paintings.
Gathering their artistic notes and seeking inspiration from the structure of Selima Hill’s poignant Thickly-frozen Lakes, the group set about penning their own poems about significant relationships in their lives. Ms Hawkins and the librarians were so impressed with their creativity- the students will be entering their poems into the Foyle Young Poets competition.
