WHICH VERSE WILL BE THE VICTOR?

Earlier this year we encouraged readers to take part in the Poem To Remember competition. Inspired by the great poets of the First World War, the contest sought to discover the next generation of works that reflect on humankind’s ability to triumph over adversity.

The competition was launched by a consortium of charities, including Help For Heroes and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, to honour this year’s 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, and also to mark the opening of the new Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC), a clinical facility for wounded servicemen and servicewomen on the Stanford Hall estate near Loughborough, which was donated by the late Duke of Westminster.

The response was overwhelming, and included poems about the Grenfell Tower tragedy and Manchester Arena attacks, personal tales of conflict and memories of grandparents who served in war. The contest clearly captured the imagination of the nation.

A team of literary experts and journalists whittled the entries down to a list of 25, and the best five poems were then chosen by a panel of judges chaired by historian Dan Snow and including former SAS sergeant Andy McNab, actor and writer Stephen Fry and author Katherine Rundell.

Now it’s your turn to vote for your favourite. The winner will receive a £2,000 cash prize, and £500 will be presented to each of the four runners-up. The winning poem will be read by HRH The Duke of Cambridge – Patron of the DNRC campaign – at a special event at the new defence facility this summer, and will be installed permanently at the DNRC.

To read the final five shortlisted poems and vote, please go to poemtoremember. co.uk. Voting closes at midnight on Saturday 9 June and the winner will be announced

later this month.