On 18 November we held a day exploring the life and legacy of the dodo as part of the UK's only national festival of the humanities, Being Human. The day included a workshop for school groups from New Marston and North Hinksey primary schools in collaboration with the Story Museum and an evening panel discussion with speakers from a range of disciplines exploring the dodo in collaboration with the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
As part of the dodo celebrations we held a creative writing competition for 7-14 year olds, in partnership with The Story Museum, Blackwell's and the University Museum of Natural History. We received over 170 entries from 36 schools around the UK. The winners were announced at the event on 18 November and we are pleased to share the shortlisted and winning entries. Please follow the links to read their stories and poems!
The winners in the 7-10 age category are:
First place: Rhianna Gorman (age 10, Richard Durning’s Endowed Primary School, Lancashire). Click here to read her story 'Dodo Island'.
Second place: Joel Atkinson (age 9, Pencaitland Primary School, East Lothian). Click here to read his story 'Daniel the Gold Mining Dodo'.
Joint third place: Frances Watt (age 8, St Aloysius Primary School, Oxford) and Mimi Burrell (age 10, St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Headington). Click here to read Frances' story 'The Dodo Travels in Time' and click here to read Mimi's story 'Into the Wild'.
The winners in the 11-14 age category are:
First place: Hebe Robertson (age 11, Combe Primary School, Witney). Click here to read her story 'The Last Dodo'.
Second place: Evie Manton (age 11, Oxford Spires Academy). Click here to read her story 'There is nothing permanent except change'.
Third place: Simi Tame (age 12, Perse Upper School Cambridge). Click here to read her poem.
The shortlisted entries included:
Abigail Drennan (age 12, The Dragon School). Click here to read her poem 'The Oxford Dodo'.
Alice Mather (age 8, SS Philip and James School). Click here to read her poem 'Dead as a Dodo'.
Arthur Robertson (age 8, Combe Primary). Click here to read his story 'The Wandering Dodo'.
Catherine Amy Harris (age 12, Langtree School). Click here to read her story 'How the dodo became extinct'.
Clark Hanlon (age 11). Click here to read his story 'First Encounter'.
Creagh Factor (age 10, Oxford High School). Click here to read her poem 'The Death of the Dodo'.
Elizabeth Balls (age 8, Rye St Antony School). Click here to read her poem 'The Dodo'.
Georgia Francis (age 9, New Marston School). Click here to read her poem 'Bones'.
Rainier Pilotte (age 14, American International School of Dhaka). Click here to read her story 'A Casualty of Hubris'.
Jessica Saunders (age 13, Oxford High School). Click here to read her piece 'Dodos, Pigeons and More Dodos'.
Suzanna Stepien (age 11, East Oxford Primary School). Click here to read her poem 'The Extinct Dodo'.
Olivia Watt (age 10, Rye St Antony). Click here to read her story 'Is it Gone?'
Alexander Porfyrakis (age 9, St Aloysius School). Click here to read his story 'Dodo in School'.
Katie Vickery (Carterton Community College). Click here to read her poem 'The Dodo - Our Questions to You'.
Eloise McGeary (age 11, Oxford High School). Click here to read her poem 'The Gull and the Dodo'.
Zoe Rogers (age 8, St Peter’s School). Click here to read her poem 'Dodo'.
The image includes sections of an Oxford skyline by artist Abi Daker (with permission of the artist) and ‘The Dodo, and the Guiney pig’ by George Edwards (Wikimedia Commons).
