Raglanite wins Library poem competition

Waikato Library news

Every year Waikato District Libraries hold a competition to celebrate Matariki (Maaori New Year). This year people were asked to write a poem or design a bookmark and we received 348 entries from across the district.

Venus Fernandez from Raglan (16+ years, poetry).

The winner of the poetry competition for the 16+ age group was Raglanite, Venus Fernandez. Annie Nguyen from Huntly was the Supreme Winner. Winners were chosen by Deputy Mayor Aksel Bech.

The winners of the bookmark categories were:

  • Isaac Shingler from Tamahere (5-9 years)
  • Annie Nguyen from Huntly (10-15 years)
  • Barbara Derecourt from Ngaruawahia (16+ years).


The winners of the poetry category were:

  • Jasmine Nicholas-Singh from Te Kauwhata (5-9 years)
  • Tokomauri White from Te Uku (10-15 years)
  • Venus Fernandez from Raglan (16+ years).


The winner of each category received a $100 gift voucher. The supreme winner received an additional $50 gift voucher and a trophy.

For every student that entered, their school received one entry to win $300 worth of books. All entries went into the draw, with the winning school chosen randomly.

The school which will receive $300 worth of books is St Anthony’s Catholic School, Huntly.

The winning bookmarks will be printed and used in our libraries, while the winning poems will be displayed in libraries and offices when they reopen.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *