The third edition of the Skola Poetry Jam, a poetry recital and spoken word competition for senior high school students, would be held on Saturday, June 21 at the Ghana Lebanon Islamic Secondary School in Accra.

This year’s competition themed, Bring Back Our Girls, went through preliminary stages in April for a face off among government high schools and their private counterparts where two schools were selected from each category to battle it out at the finale.

The schools that excelled among the government senior high schools were Kinbu Senior High School and La Presby Senior High School represented by Emmanuel Akambo and Moses Adjei Adjetey respectively.

The private schools had Ghana Lebanon Islamic Secondary School represented by Ayisha Yakubu Asabea and Elim Senior High School represented by Sector Akoto.

These four schools would compete poetically in the winner-takes-all contest for prizes including a laptop computer, books, souvenirs, drinks from sponsors and GH 500 cedis cash.

Mr. Faisal Bashiru, CEO of Quest Multimedia, organisers of the competition called on the public to take a keen interest in the competition which offers high school students the platform to harness their talents and potentials in poetry and spoken word.

He bemoaned the difficulty in getting sponsorship for this year’s edition saying, “Corporate bodies are not interested in sponsoring literary competitions such as the Skola Poetry Jam making the artless popular in the country, but we believe it is an important part of the society so the show must go on regardless”.

Last year’s winner, Ms. Rhoda Ndo from Action Senior Technical School, won a cash prize of GH1, 000 cedis and an all-expense paid trip to the United States of America for a two-week spoken word, writing and performance workshop organized by USA-based Urban Word.

He acknowledged America Cola and O Chaley Clothing for sponsoring this year’s competition urging other organisations and corporate bodies to lend a helping hand.

Judges for the day are Rhyme Sonny, founder of p.o.e.t.s, Chief Moomen, producer of KSM show and guest judge, Jeremie Van Garshong, host of Route 919 on Accra-based Live 91.9 fm.

There would also be poetry and spoken word performances by 100%, Poetra Ama Asantewaa, Nana Asaase, Rhoda Ndo and Ayuba Huudu. Skola Poetry Jam started as a pilot programme in the Nima - Maamobi Community Library (Kathy Knowles Theatre) as an exciting approach to inculcating the culture of reading into the youth of that community.