THE talents of two young Malvern poets have been rewarded.

Harriet McCulloch, a former student at The Chase sixth form, has won the Simon Elvin Young Poet Award, while 13-year-old Helen Parker has had a poem published in Young Writer magazine.

Helen's poem Fragmentation won the vote of the judges in the annual competition organised by the National Poetry Society and yesterday (Thursday) she collected her award at a ceremony in London.

Fragmentation was written in a form invented by Julia Copus, last year's adult National Poetry Competition winner. Ms Copus previously ran workshops at The Chase and Harriet was one of the students who worked with her. Her poem contains two sections that mirror each other in reverse order.

Harriet, now studying English at University College London, was also awarded a place on an Arvon Foundation creative writing course in Yorkshire, at a house donated by the late poet laureate Ted Hughes.

Helen Parker's poem, Dying for a Drink, was in the form of a haiku.

According to Kate Jones, editor of Young Writer magazine, it was chosen for publication because of its "originality and strength".