As part of an exciting international literacy initiative, students from the English Department at South Bank Colleges have created a powerful and heartfelt anthology of original poetry. This collection is the result of their involvement in Story Valley — a collaborative project uniting four UNESCO Cities of Literature and the National Literacy Trust.

The Story Valley initiative is designed to inspire young people to read, write, and speak about their personal stories and cultural identities. At South Bank Colleges, our students were invited to explore what it means to belong, to reflect on their heritage, and to give voice to their lived experiences through poetry.

The resulting anthology is a moving tapestry of voices shaped by memory, place, and perspective. Each poem reflects a deep engagement with themes of identity, home, and self-expression — capturing what it means to be British, or to live in Britain, in all its complexity.

This extraordinary body of work will also be showcased in THE SHOW this week (Thursday 19th June 2025 at Clapham Common campus), celebrating the creativity and courage of our students.

📄 Download the full Story Valley poetry anthology here. 

We are proud to celebrate the talent and vision of our students, and we invite our community to read and reflect on the stories they’ve so generously shared.