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The earth that whispers at my feet
from ‘Introduction’
‘Poetry acts as a playground for me to try and imagine a better future... to explore what our world would say if it could talk back.’
— young poet Aliyah Begum
This anthology showcases the winning and commended poems from four of People Need Nature challenges on Young Poets Network. The challenges, all set and judged by experienced poets, take a range of approaches to the environmental theme, inviting young people to see and give voice to the natural world in novel ways. In ‘The Hill by the A13,’ set amid COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, poet Gboyega Odubanjo prompted young poets to mix the human and natural worlds, while in ‘Soundworlds and Songscapes,’ poet Polly Atkin encouraged closer attention to our surroundings, including the sounds made by birds, animals, and plants. In ‘The Influence of the Earth,’ nurse and poet Romalyn Ante explored the idea of social prescribing, inspiring poems about how time spent in nature can make someone feel better. Louisa Adjoa Parker’s challenge asked young people to write poems imagining natural solutions to problems caused by the climate crisis.
from the back cover
Poetry can’t reverse climate change breakdown. But, as nature vanishes all around us, young poets are planting seeds for the type of world they want to grow in.
— Daniel Clark, young poet
‘Poetry acts as a playground for me to try and imagine a better future... to explore what our world would say if it could talk back.’
— young poet Aliyah Begum
This anthology showcases the winning and commended poems from four of People Need Nature challenges on Young Poets Network. The challenges, all set and judged by experienced poets, take a range of approaches to the environmental theme, inviting young people to see and give voice to the natural world in novel ways. In ‘The Hill by the A13,’ set amid COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, poet Gboyega Odubanjo prompted young poets to mix the human and natural worlds, while in ‘Soundworlds and Songscapes,’ poet Polly Atkin encouraged closer attention to our surroundings, including the sounds made by birds, animals, and plants. In ‘The Influence of the Earth,’ nurse and poet Romalyn Ante explored the idea of social prescribing, inspiring poems about how time spent in nature can make someone feel better. Louisa Adjoa Parker’s challenge asked young people to write poems imagining natural solutions to problems caused by the climate crisis.
from the back cover
Poetry can’t reverse climate change breakdown. But, as nature vanishes all around us, young poets are planting seeds for the type of world they want to grow in.
— Daniel Clark, young poet
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 15, 2026
I’d read most of these poems already as they appeared on the website, but having all the winning and commended poems listed together, this book is a global collection with brilliant work from young poets everywhere (including myself!) I’ve loved Amy Wolstenholme’s poem from the first challenge for years now, and on this reading, I’ve enjoyed (again) other work by April Egan, Natalie Perman, Aliyah Begum, Irma K, Daniel Clark, Lara Mae Simpson, Kexin Huang (who has 2 poems), Maggie Wang (who has 3 poems), and Divya Mehrish (whose poem one must read more than once). 100% recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review