The 1st József Attila Poetry and Prose Recitation Contest in England

Hungarian Cultural Centre, London, April 22, 2017

The 1st József Attila Poetry and Prose Recitation Contest in England was established as a joint initiative of the Association of Hungarian Reciters in England and the Hungarian Culture and Heritage Society. It was held on the 22^nd of April in 2017, at the Great Hall of the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London to mark the occasion of Hungarian Poetry Day.

The organisers’ goal was to provide an opportunity for all age groups to introduce themselves and express their commitment to Hungarian literature. Amateur poetry and prose reciters aged 8 and over were eligible to apply. Participants were required to prepare two freely chosen poems or prose pieces from universal Hungarian literature.

The categories were established as follows:

Children’s Category: ages 8–13
Youth Category: ages 14–19
Adult Category: age 20 and above

A total of 53 people entered the competition.

The day-long, sold-out event began at 10:30 AM. Main organiser Beáta Verbászi, founder of the Association of Hungarian Reciters in England, Radnóti Award-winning performer, and Chair of the Jury, outlined the day’s program and introduced the other members of the jury:

Milán Horváth – Program Organiser at the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London, Head of the London Communication and Drama Workshop
Katalin Rácz – Actress and Dubbing Director
Réka Rakitai – Kazinczy Medalist secondary school teacher of Hungarian language and literature, speech development specialist

Following the briefing, the Children’s Category contestants took the stage: ten youngsters between the ages of 8 and 13 presented their pieces. They were followed by three talented participants in the Youth Category. After a short break, the audience enjoyed the individual interpretations of twenty-five talented adults.

The excitement of the morning and early afternoon was followed by a reception while the jury deliberated to evaluate the performances. Given the exceptionally strong field, several adult contestants were asked to perform their second chosen piece to help the jury reach a final decision.

Before the formal awards ceremony, the audience enjoyed a memorable performance by artist Júlia Papp. During the announcement of results, the jury members provided useful professional advice to the contestants, emphasizing that they had gifted the audience with very well-prepared and sophisticated performances.

Nothing demonstrated the success and satisfaction better than the fact that the organisers promised to continue the event the following year.

Contest results

József Attila Award of England: Dr. János Sándor Horváth

Children’s Category