Emotive topics

Named after a line from a Philip Larkin poem, Never Such Innocence is the official First World War centenary charity for young people, committed to educating the next generation about the Great War and its continuing impact on our lives today. Over the past four years, the charity has provided the opportunity for young people to engage during the centenary period, running an annual poetry, art and song competition and giving its winners a participating voice in centenary commemoration events all over the world.

The competition received a phenomenal response, with over 11,000 contributions from 47 countries. Its winners have performed in front of members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and Scottish First Minister, heads of the Army, Navy and RAF, and in local communities from Blackwood to Belfast, Shetland to Sunderland, and Germany to Greece.

Never Such Innocence is marking the culmination of the charity’s work so far by publishing a moving anthology that celebrates how children have responded to the centenary commemorations, tackling challenging, emotive topics with respect, thought and creativity.

More than 70 paintings and more than 75 poems feature in the book. The Never Such Innocence anthology of poetry is published by Never Such Innocence in hardback, price £19.99, and is available from Amazon and all good bookshops.