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About thirty boys (and six adults) gathered together in the dining hall of Penn House for an enjoyable evening of Arabic poetry. Texts and translations were provided for the audience to follow. Middle Eastern snacks were served. Twenty-three boys recited a poem of their choice. Of these, two were native speakers who had chosen poems that had become popular in the Arab Spring, together with their own translations. The remaining twenty-one, all non-native speakers, were in contention for the Arabic Declamation Prize. The adjudicators – Mr Fitzroy Morrissey (ex-KS), Mr Alex Drapkin and Mr Nick McBurney ( both ex-MJLB) – highly commended Tom Knowles KS and Atticus Blick (JRBS), while awarding first place to Jack Eastwood (TEJN), for his carefully prepared and exuberantly delivered rendition of Al-Sabah Al-Jadid ('The New Morning'), a Sudanese folk song. We would like to thank the adjudicators for making it over to Eton and taking great care with their decision. We would also like to thank Mr McPherson and all the Arabists in SMM for being such gracious hosts. HAS