I won first prize in a poetry competition

Press Packer Edward won a poetry competition, writing about his dad who died when Edward was very young.

This is how Edward felt about winning with his very special poem.

"My Dad died of a brain tumour when I was three years old.

I found it really hard to accept that he was gone forever and decided to put my feelings down in a poem and then entered it into a competition called Bad Times Rhymes.

Published poem

This competition is run by a charity called Grief Encounter which helps children when someone close to them dies.

I couldn't believe it when I won first prize - £100, an iPod and a pair of Converse trainers.

My poem has also been published in a book.

Click here to read Edward's poem

Even better I had to go to London to collect my prizes and went to Planet Hollywood for lunch.

Fantastic feeling

Edward meeting Poet Laureate Andrew Motion

After that we all went to a bookshop for the book launch and Andrew Motion, the Poet Laureate, read out my poem to a packed room of people.

It was such a fantastic feeling, I was so proud of myself and I hope, if he can see me now, my Dad is proud of me too.

Something positive

I hope the book, called Bad Times Rhymes, and the Grief Encounter project help lots of other children who are going through similar emotions.

Now I can look back and smile about the good times rather than cry about what has happened and what I have lost.

I have made something positive out of something really painful."

Edward, 10, Northamptonshire

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