AN aspiring young writer from Malmesbury, who kept her work secret years, was recognised as one of the best up-and-coming poets in the country last week.

Emily Franklin has been reading and writing poetry for three years, but hadn’t shown anyone her work, not even her family, until recently.

The 16-year-old decided to enter her first poetry competition, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Awards, which was judged by acclaimed writers Malika Booker and W N Herbert.

Out of more than 6,000 who entered the competition from all over the world, Emily was named as one of 15 winners.

She said the awards were validation for the work she’d been doing.

“The first people to read my poetry were the judges,” she said.

“I’d been writing for three years, so you don’t know if it’s good or not until you have someone look at it.

“I was really excited when I found out I’d won. I hadn’t told anyone I had entered, so I called my gran.”

Emily’s winning poem, called Apotelesma, originally started as a love poem, but changed tone as she continued to work on it.

The poem can be read in full on The Poetry Society’s website by CLICKING HERE.

The aspiring poet has just started her A-Levels at Stroud High and says she will be entering more poetry competitions in the future, thanks to a renewed confidence in herself.