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As part of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Occupation, the Guernsey Arts Commission wants people with lyrical skills and writing passions to help commemorate the occasion.
The poems must center around the key themes of next year's festivities, mainly evacuation and the return of the evacuees, deportation, occupation and rebuilding.
Other themes are German forces and what happened after Liberation, the liberating forces and planning the liberation of the Islands.
Anyone interested in submitting a poem has until Friday 20 December, and they can be in English or Guernesiais. For those wishing to use Guernesiais, several phrases have been provided by the Guernsey Language Commission:
• (the) Liberation, (a) Celebration - (la) Liberâtiaon, (énne) Célébrâtiaon
• (the) Freedom - (la) Libertaï
• Guernsey is free - Guernesi est libe
• Five long years, it is over now - Chin laongues onnaïes, ch’est fini achtaeure
• Let us remember, and celebrate - Faout s’en r’maette et célébraï
• The occupation is over - L’Otchupâtiaon est finie
• Eighty years ago - I’y a quater-vingts àns
• The island was liberated - L’Île fut liberaïe
Guernsey Arts are also working with Dr Karen Marshall to arrange for the Liberation 80th Schools Poetry Open to be circulated across all education facilities, including the home-schooling community.
The organisation intends to use the poems to create a commemorative 80th Liberation anniversary book, both in physical and digital form, and select poems could also be used for public art initiatives, encouraging the community to engage with the written word in new ways.
Jade Kershaw, the Community & Public Realm Officer for Guernsey Arts said: "Guernsey Arts is thrilled to be able to create the platform for this community led project. We hope Islanders will be inspired to look into such a poignant moment in our shared history and use their creativity to provide a different perspective 80 years on."
You can find out more about the competition, guidelines, rules and helpful tips on the Art Commissions website.
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