A POEM about a family affected by the death of their son in World War I has won a national poetry competition.

Reflections on a Time-Line by Mair De-Gare Pitt tells the story of the experience of her own family when one of her relatives was killed in the Battle of Arras in 1917 France, and reflects upon the feelings her great grandmother may have had following this very young man’s tragic passing.

Ms Pitt said: "I'm grateful to receive this prize. For this piece to win means so much to me. My grandfather’s brother was killed at war, his body was never found and all that’s left of his memory is a commemorative copper penny. I wanted to write about his parents, my great grandparents’, thoughts and feelings about this cost of honour."

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Ms Pitt's role as a creative writing tutor for Torfaen adult community learning is to help her learners write about their experiences and feelings in any manner they so choose.

Themes are explored collectively and allow for budding writers to talk about their stories, scripts and memoirs in a safe and understanding space.

Ms Pitt said: "I learn as much as everyone and we all learn from each other and I think that’s why the class is the success it is.  Some of my learners have also been published since coming along to my class, for example Dawn Llewellyn’s Blaenafon Tales. If you are thinking about it, come and give it a go.  Everyone has a story in them."

Her next 10 week class starts on Friday September 24 at the Power Station, Cwmbran.

For more information or to enrol, call the Torfaen ACL team on 01633 647647.