A VERSE about a school desk in the middle of a conflict zone was among the winners of a poetry competition.

Nine-year-old Alice Burns, from Leafield Primary School near Witney, was the joint winner of the junior schools poetry section of Oxford Brookes University’s Love and Justice competition.

Alice had imagined a rotting desk covered in spiders in her entry to the competition.

Words such as “Here I am, covered in dust, even my joints are starting to rust,” saw her share the title with 11-year-old Elizabeth Juang, from St Barnabas School, Oxford.

Law student Emily Hirst, from Jericho, won the competition’s photography prize with a poignant image she took last year in Belfast of two women laying flowers in memory of a young man murdered by the IRA.

Ms Hirst said: “When I saw the Love and Justice title I instantly thought of this photograph. I was delighted to win.”

Competition co-ordinator Michelle Montgomery said: “We were delighted with the response and we had no idea how successful it was going to be. The entries were of a really high standard and from a range of people, including primary school children, older members of the community, and students and staff from both universities.

“They all had a very interesting take on love and justice.”

The winning poem in the adults category, Surrender to arms, was written by Deborah Mason, assistant director of Oxford University’s language centre.

The secondary school poetry prize was won by 16-year-old Claire Ewbank, while Ellie Matthews, also 16, won the school photography prize.

The competition was part of a month-long festival which attracted more than 1,000 people to book clubs, business seminars, a volunteering fair, lectures, debate and a human rights film and music event.

Brookes vice chancellor Janet Beer said: “The creativity of everyone who entered the competitions has been particularly inspiring.

“Their poems and images have greatly enriched our experience of the month.”

fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk