Cadbury Sixth Form College learner wins national Stephen Spender Trust accolade

A talented linguist from Cadbury Sixth Form College, part of The Sandwell Colleges, has achieved national recognition, winning the prestigious Stephen Spender Trust Prize for Poetry in Translation: KS5 Portuguese Spotlight.

Dennis Casey’s translation of Fernando Pessoa’s Mar Português, will be published in the Stephen Spender Trust Prizewinners’ Booklet 2024 and online. This achievement is particularly remarkable as Dennis had no previous knowledge of the Portuguese language.

Dennis, who is studying A-Levels in French, Philosophy, Maths & EPQ, expressed delight at the accolade.

“I was really surprised to have won this award, especially given that I’ve never studied Portuguese before. The fact that it was on a national scale as well was massive – I definitely wasn’t expecting to win.”

The competition required participants to translate a poem and provide a creative interpretation that captured its essence. At last week’s online award celebration, the judge spoke warmly of the sensitivity of language used in Dennis’ translation, and in the remarkable water colour with its striking image that Dennis painted for the creative response activity.

Reflecting on life at Cadbury Sixth Form College, Dennis credited the Languages department’s supportive environment and enriching activities for nurturing linguistic passion and skills.

“The Languages department is a community – we do a lot of extra-curricular and enrichment activities that have boosted my confidence socially as well. This year, I am a Languages Mentor helping within the department, and one of my roles is as editor of our multilingual poetry anthology.”

Sue Simson, Languages Lecturer, who organised entries to the competition, was delighted at the result:

“we are very proud of Dennis’ superb achievement in gaining this outstanding award. It is well deserved, and I hope it will inspire Dennis to further literary heights in the future.”

Lydia Maher, Principal of Cadbury Sixth Form College, also commended on Dennis’ accomplishment:

“This national recognition is a reflection of the dedication and excellence we cultivate at Cadbury Sixth Form College. Dennis’ achievement not only highlights his exceptional ability and commitment to his studies but also showcases the outstanding support, resources, and expertise provided by our dedicated Languages department. It is this collaborative effort between talented students and our passionate educators that makes accomplishments like this possible. We are incredibly proud of Dennis for this well-deserved accolade, and we look forward to witnessing his continued success as he embarks on the next stage of his journey.”