True Colours: audience favourite of the ‘Poems for Human Rights’ competition

The three winners of the Poems for Human Rights competition holding their gift cards
From left to right, Marieke Vreeken (jury winner in the English language category), Vicky Breemen (jury winner in the Dutch language category) and Safiya Lall Mohamed (audience favourite). Photo by Laura Hompus.

The poem ‘True Colours’ by Safiya Lall Mohamed won the public award of Utrecht University’s poetry competition, with 68 votes out of 249. The winner collected the prize, a 100 EUR gift card, at the live award ceremony celebrated during the Impact Night 2024. She said it was an honour to be recognised.

Safiya Lall Mohamed said over the poem: "During the Black Lives Matter protests, I wanted to show my support. One of my Whatsapp groups is called ‘colour swatches’ with a diverse trio of girls in it, which is a nod to the swatches you can get in a DIY store when deciding what colour to paint your house. This is actually how my inspiration for the poem came about. The short words, combined with the image, reinforce each other, as the search for colour sometimes takes on a whole different meaning in this society." 

True colours by Safiya Lall Mohamed

The 2024 winners

Jury winner in the English language: Human Treaty by Marieke Vreeken

Jury winner in Dutch language: Universe Declaration by Vicky Breemen

Audience favourite: True Colours by Safiya Lall Mohamed

Commended poems:

  • Wie schrijft dan nog – Ongehoord Soedan by Elyse Touron - van der Roer 
  • Ashes and Echoes by Sandeep Kumar Mishra 
  • True colours by Safiya Lall Mohamed 
  • It rains bombs by Alessandra Spadaro 

Visit the poetry exhibition

Showcase of selected poems on display at Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht
A selection of poems are now on display at the Utrecht University Library

True Colours, along with the jury’s winning and commended poems, is on display in the exhibition throughout different locations in Utrecht. You’re most welcome to come and visit:

 

About the competition

Utrecht University launched the ‘Poems for Human Rights’ competition in September 2024 to encourage individuals to express their hopes, frustrations or reflections on human rights, the theme of the Opening of the Academic Year. The competition attracted 66 poems, both in English and in Dutch. A jury, comprising of Geert Buelens, Antoine Buyse, Hanneke van Eijken, Marieke Gelderblom, Mia You and Michiel Doorman, was tasked with selecting two winners on a blind review basis (not being shown the authors’ names). In addition, the public chose their own favourite via social media.

The competition was made possible with the support of:

From left to right, logos of Utrecht University, SIM, Freudenthal Institute and Institutions for Open Societies