18-07-2017
Emma Robertson, who placed third in the Taaleem Award 15-17 age group, on her journey to the prize
What inspired you to enter the competition?
I saw a poster advertising the competition in my school library, and I just thought ‘it’s worth a shot’. I never expected to win anything and frankly, I used the competition as an excuse to get into writing more poetry.
One thing you most enjoyed about the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature?
I loved that there were so many opportunities for young authors and poets to showcase and celebrate their work together. The competitions and workshops provided such a great chance for learning and appreciation of literature.
How does it feel to have won?
The instant I found out, I ran laps around my house and screamed with joy. I was in complete shock initially, and kept checking the name at the top of the e-mail in disbelief to see if I had ACTUALLY won.