Interview with Nadia Lines, Orwell Youth Prize winner

Nadia Lines was an Orwell Youth Prize Senior Winner in 2019, responding to the theme ‘A Fair Society?’. We asked her where she got her inspiration for ‘The Aptitude Test kid’ and what motivates her to write.

Interview with Nadia Lines, Orwell Youth Prize winner

What was the inspiration behind your piece?
This poem was directly inspired by the experiences of a very close friend of mine. I love learning, but I’m very concerned by the academic pressures facing young children, as well as the fact that many are unable to access a good education without facing immense challenges.

Why did you pick the form you did?
I love words, and for me, the poem is a great chance to play and experiment with them. My subject matter was language, and so poetry seemed to be the best way to discuss this.

Why do you write?
I write because I enjoy it. Language is fascinating and I want to find ways to give words new power.

What advice would you give to fellow young writers?

Don’t be afraid to try out new forms. I only came to poetry after years of writing stories. No form is too new or too strange- give them all a go.


You can read Nadia's winning entry, The Aptitude Test Kid, right here on Voice.

Header Image Credit: Haley Madden

Author

Tom Inniss

Tom Inniss Voice Team

Tom is the Editor of Voice. He is a politics graduate and holds a masters in journalism, with particular interest in youth political engagement and technology. He is also a mentor to our Voice Contributors, and champions our festivals programme, including the reporter team at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Recent posts by this author

View more posts by Tom Inniss

0 Comments

Post A Comment

You must be signed in to post a comment. Click here to sign in now

You might also like

Dance-theatre artist Charlotte Mclean to bring 'Futuristic Folktales' on tour

Dance-theatre artist Charlotte Mclean to bring 'Futuristic Folktales' on tour

by Storytelling PR

Read now