Reported by:
Queenie Liaw Qian Ni Sr2ScC
Joslyn Lee Tze Enn Sr2ScC
Photography by:
Rachel Low Weng Yi Sr3ScB
Lim Shin Yin Sr2ComB
On the 13th of June 2025, as part of this year’s English Week activities, the English Department, in collaboration with the English Language Society, hosted the inaugural Blackout Poetry Competition. This Blackout Poetry is a new form of creative writing through the composition of a poem by selecting specific words from an article and “blacking out” the rest of the words.
The contestants were separated into two categories, juniors and seniors, with each category comprising two teams. Each category received a different article to choose their words from; the juniors received an article titled “ Eating Tools”, while the seniors received the article “A Place to Belong”. Each team was given about 70 minutes from both recess sessions to create and design their poem using coloured pencils. As part of the rules, participants could only use the words from their assigned articles and the usage of any reference books was not allowed.
(Photo 1: Participants reading through the article)
(Photo 2: Participants using colour pencils to design the poem)
As the competition commenced, the teams sat together at their respective tables and discussed which word was suitable to select from the long articles filled with robust vocabulary. As there were no strict requirements on how the teams wished to present their poem, some teams chose to circle their chosen words, while others blacked out the unused ones or rewrote their poems directly onto the articles instead. This enabled students to display their creativity in a free and unique manner.
(Photo 3: A colourfully designed poem)
Throughout the entire session, only the sound of coloured pencils scratching the surface of the papers and murmurs of discussion could be heard. The atmosphere was quiet yet melodious as students created their poems as if composing a beautiful symphony. Each team, though given the same articles, managed to add their own twist and unique way of writing into their poems, making each and every poem one of its kind.
We interviewed with one of the English teachers in charge as the competition reached its end. Ms. Kok Wui Khin shared that this competition was designed with the intention to allow students to express their passion for the English language through an artistic and engaging method. Many participants told us that their reason for joining this competition was that they felt drawn to this activity, which seemed both fun and innovative, especially because they could work together in teams with their friends to create their very own poems. This event combined the artistic world of writing and drawing, giving students the opportunity to express themselves in both worlds, making this experience fun and memorable for everyone.
