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QE’s poet-in-residence, Anthony Anaxagorou, has been shortlisted for the prestigious TS Eliot prize for poetry.

After the Formalities, a collection of poems by Old Elizabethan Anthony (1994–1999) was selected by the judges among the nominees for the £25,000 prize, the UK’s most valuable poetry award.

The work, which is also a Poetry Society recommendation, features poems in which the threat of violence is never far away, looking at episodes including the pulling of a knife, racial abuse of an Uber driver, a father bathing his son in ice water and a schoolboy driving a pin into a map of the world.

The title poem is a meditation on racism and ‘race science’ that draws on the Cypriot heritage of British-born Anthony.

A poet, fiction-writer, essayist and poetry educator whose work has appeared on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, Anthony won the Groucho Maverick Award in 2015 and this year he was made an honorary fellow of the University of Roehampton. He has toured extensively in Europe and Australia.

At QE, Anthony is a contributor to the School’s academic enrichment programme, leading workshops and other events promoting and developing creative writing among the boys.

As reported by the Guardian, the chairman of the judges, John Burnside, has paid tribute to all the shortlisted writers, whom he describes as “some of the finest and most fearless poets working today”.

“In an excellent year for poetry, the judges read over 150 collections from every corner of these islands, and beyond,” said Mr Burnside. “Each had its own vital energy, its own argument to make, its own celebration or requiem to offer, and we knew that settling upon ten from so many fine books would be difficult. Nevertheless, as our deliberations progressed, the same titles kept coming to the fore.”

Guardian reviewer Jade Cuttle wrote: “Anthony Anaxagorou’s After the Formalities is a novel response to anxieties surrounding the growth of the immigrant-descended population, informed by his British and Cypriot heritage. […] The poet speaks out ‘against darkness’ to a divided nation and seeks the solace of home, whether assigned or adopted.”

Published by Penned in the Margins – a company producing new work live, in print and online – the anthology has also been praised by rapper, poet and political activist Akala as a work by “a poet at the peak of his powers”.

Anthony dedicates the collection to the memory of “my beloved grandmother who passed away during the writing of this book”. In a note of thanks at the start of the book, he also addresses his son, Tabari: “I hope when I’m old you’ll read these poems with the same fondness I discovered when writing them.”

• Previous winners of the TS Eliot prize include Carol Ann Duffy, Ted Hughes and Alice Oswald. The winner will be announced on 13th January 2020.

Countless hours spent jamming with friends in the Music block at QE sowed the seeds of Sergio Ronchetti’s career as a composer and sound designer for video games and films.

Returning to the School to deliver a careers lecture to Senior School pupils, Sergio (OE 2004–2011) recalled that when he decided to go into music instead of taking a place at university, everyone around him said he was making a mistake.

But, he told the boys, he had no regrets about his chosen path, since it had put him in control of what he was doing. He loves practising music six-to-eight hours a day as he finds it therapeutic and it gives him direction. He had been true to himself, his career giving him opportunities to learn from, helping him to mature and making him happy. “It’s more about the journey, rather than the end game. Every day I get a little bit better at something, I progress.

“Give yourself time to make decisions – meditate and do something productive,” he advised the boys gathered in the Shearly Hall. “If you don’t know what to do for a career, take a year out, work, take a course. There’s no rush!” Just as in rugby, you must actually take steps forward in order to achieve your career goals, particularly if those goals are ambitious, he said.

Sergio spent the first four years after leaving QE as a professional musician, culminating in the release of a full-length album. During this time, he achieved several accolades, including an artist endorsement from ESP Guitars and Laney Amplification, while also performing at major festivals and at sold-out shows in both UK and mainland Europe.

He did eventually go to university – but in his own time and as the next logical step in his career plan. Although he came from a rock background (influenced by his uncle’s heavy metal collection), he decided to eschew a possible future in a touring band playing guitar, because he “wanted to be a part of something bigger”. He loves the indie game scene and says his ambitions include working on “the biggest video game in history”. Asked what his ten-year goals were, Sergio staed: “I would like to score a couple of good jobs in film – possibly become head of a music production department”.

Thus, in 2016, in order to facilitate this burgeoning ambition to become a film and game composer, he went to Goldsmiths, University of London, to study Music, from where he graduated with a First.

Today, Sergio works as a freelancer, describing himself on his own website as a ‘composer/sound designer’. His recent work on the indie game Eldest Souls was showcased at E3 Los Angeles, the premier trade event for the video industry.

He is a regular supporter of the School and gave a presentation on sound design in video games at last year’s Year 11 Careers Convention.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Sergio’s story is a very interesting one – through a combination of determination and talent, he is successfully forging a career in a highly competitive industry. Of course, unlike him, a very large majority of our boys do go on to university immediately on leaving the School or after a gap year, but we are keen to make sure that pupils are fully informed about all the different options available to them so that they can make the choices that are best for them.”

Sergio advised any boys interested in following in his footsteps not to rely on making money from such a career in the beginning. “Freelance work takes a while to build up. Do it as a hobby first. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, either; you can use your laptop or iPhone.”

Sergio was happy to dispense a little technical advice – he suggests Logic or Ableton software for music production, using Logic himself, while Pro Tools is good for film-editing.

Asked about the skills required for a career similar to his, Sergio urged the boys to be open to possibilities and to be prepared. “If someone comes to you and says ‘are you ready to mix this album?’ you need to take the challenge.” He does not believe in luck: “It’s all about work ethic and discipline.”

There were also questions about the UK grime & rap industry and whether it incites violence. Sergio said he believed not; artists were merely expressing the violence going on around them. He added, however: “As a musician you do have a level of responsibility and need to be aware of what messages you’re spreading.”

Right from the start, Joshua Domb’s professional life had its fair share of excitement!

Just a few months after leaving QE, Josh found himself working at an investment bank and thus witnessed at first-hand the careers carnage among the bankers as the 2008 global financial crisis swept across the City.

He then embarked on a legal career that has so far taken him from the Old Bailey in London to court rooms formerly used for Mafia trials in Milan and from down-town Abu Dhabi to the heart of Sao Paolo. His work as a lawyer has seen him supporting big business and advising wealthy individuals, while also saving the jobs of 17 quarry-workers.

In his spare time, Josh (OE 2001-2008) now enjoys long-distance running and also frequently makes time to meet up with fellow old boys of the School.

After taking his A-levels in History, Politics, Business and Accounting, before taking up his place to read Law at Nottingham University, Josh spent eight months working for professional services firm Accenture.

“Most memorably, my first day on a client site saw me walk into an investment bank on the day that Lehman Brothers went bust – the ultimate experience of being thrown in at the deep end.

“Not having a degree or really being able to contribute to the project I had been assigned to in any significant way, I instantly became the most hated person in the office, protected as I was on an external project team whilst, over the next three months, bankers with 20-plus years’ experience got fired around me. By the time I moved on, you could fit everyone who was left on the three floors that the bank had in that particular building on to a single floor. Not fun, but a great learning experience!”

After his gap year, Josh read Law at Nottingham University. He thoroughly enjoyed his studies at Nottingham, but says the real highlight was serving as the President of the University Karate Club and fighting on the University team.

He then worked for law firm DLA Piper, where he trained as a solicitor, ultimately qualifying into the Corporate Crime & Investigations (CCI) Team. After four years, he moved to Paul Hastings’ London office and was tasked with helping build the American law firm’s CCI team there. He has now been at Paul Hastings for two-and-a-half years.

His work broadly involves:

• Advising companies in relation to internal investigations, for example in relation to allegations of bribery or conflicts of interest following a complaint by a whistleblower, or representing those companies if they are being investigated or prosecuted by a regulatory authority
• Advising and representing individuals who are being investigated or prosecuted by regulatory authorities
• Advising companies on matters which generally fall under the umbrella of ‘compliance’ – including areas such as anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, competition law and sanctions.

In addition, Josh occasionally deals with tax fraud investigations and spends quite a lot of time doing work involving the gambling industry “which has to deal with all of the things listed above, but with the added slant of industry-specific regulation”.

Among the highlights from his “exciting” last six years as a lawyer, he lists working on former News of the World editor Andy Coulson’s defence team in the high-profile phone-hacking case, spending almost four months in the Old Bailey during the trial itself.

He spent six months living and working in Dubai, mostly doing internal investigations in the pharmaceuticals sector.

“I am also part of a team which represents a former member of the British Government in an ongoing trial in Milan, where I have probably been 20-30 times over the last few years.”

There have been definite highs – “rescuing a quarry near Newcastle from a bitter dispute with HMRC and saving the workers’ jobs in the process” – and even, he recalls, the occasional low: “Going to prison! It was to interview someone who had stolen £1.7m and they let me back out again after – still, not an overly pleasant experience.”

In one period, he held meetings in an aircraft hangar full of disassembled private jets, just outside Paris, while at other times he was to be found variously: wandering around downtown Abu Dhabi at 2am; eating out in Sao Paolo; running around Central Park whilst the sun set on New York, and spotting the world’s largest sail ship whilst walking the streets of Gibraltar.

Travel is, in fact, at the forefront of his interests outside of work: “I love to get away long-haul at every opportunity. Cuba, Japan and Malaysia have been some recent highlights on that front.”

He is a also keen runner, completing his first sub 3-hour marathon in Frankfurt last October and finishing his first 50-mile ultra-marathon around the Chilterns in just under 10 hours a couple of weeks ago. “I am also a keen photographer, and enjoy listening to audio books, which I find is a nice change from the substantial amounts of reading I do every day at work.”

“Thinking back to my time at QE, the thing that has surprised me most, over ten years on, is how many people are popping back up in the most unexpected of places! I have taken many old classmates out for business and social dinners over the last year or so, and have a few more to get through this year also.”

When he stopped by for the Founder’s Day Fete in June, he found it “a source of great satisfaction to see how well the School was doing”.

“There are plenty of teachers and moments that stand out from my time at QE. To pick one of the funnier stories, I used to play rugby at scrumhalf, normally on the C team, but occasionally scraping my way into the B team. It would be a stretch to say that I was much good though and, my growth spurt coming a little late, I was certainly amongst the smaller in stature on the field.

“I recall on one occasion that we were playing away (I think against Habs) and I got unexpectedly drafted in at fullback on the A team (to cover for an injury, not because I was anywhere near good enough!). Thankfully my colleagues did most of the work and I wasn’t called on to get particularly involved – I never did have that ‘off-switch’ for danger in my brain that I think is so important for a fullback!

“Even if I wasn’t much good as a player, the School did give me a real love of watching rugby, which I maintain to this day.

“My single most important piece of advice to the current students is to never be afraid to ask someone for something. It’s amazing just how much people are willing to give of their time, contacts, knowledge and experience, if only you are willing to ask. Related to that, get over the fear of being told ‘no’ or turned down. You almost certainly didn’t have whatever you asked for before you got told no, so really you haven’t lost anything!”

QE Connect, a new interactive online platform for alumni and other supporters of the School, has now been launched.

A bespoke social and professional network, it helps old boys stay connected with the School and each other, while allowing them to access new contacts and career opportunities. Furthermore, QE Connect makes it easy for alumni to support current boys at the School in a wide range of different ways.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I am thrilled to be able to announce the launch of QE Connect and pleased to see that our OEs are quick off the mark: many have already signed up!

“When a boy starts at the School he becomes an Elizabethan for life: QE Connect is about enhancing and celebrating that association, recognising that we all benefit when we assist each other. It seems especially appropriate that we have launched QE Connect during a week in which more than 3,000 boys are sitting our entrance exam for places in Year 7 next year. Built on the bedrock of the enduring friendships formed by boys while they are pupils, our community spans the generations: the ‘QE experience’ starts early and continues long after pupils leave here and go on to university and into their chosen careers.”

In recent years, alumni engagement with the School has been expanding rapidly, as Old Elizabethans generously contribute their time, expertise and money in a whole host of ways. QE will streamline this process, making it straightforward for every alumnus to get involved in whatever way he chooses, and at a level of time commitment that is appropriate for him.

“We aspire for our boys to go to the world’s leading universities and to have the best careers,” the Headmaster added. “Through QE Connect, our alumni and other supporters can help us give pupils every advantage while they are here, including access to the latest resources, the best facilities and the finest brains.”

Ways in which they can assist include: work experience placements; internships both for sixth-formers and for recent leavers; university application and ‘personal statement’ advice; Mock interviews, including the annual University Mock Interview Evening in October; careers advice; giving talks and lectures; reviewing CVs; help at events, and financial support through the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s (FQE) Giving to QE campaign.

The Headmaster added: “Many of our pupils are the first generation in their families to go to university and on into professional careers; they do not have the network of family and other connections typically enjoyed by pupils from fee-paying schools. QE Connect will assist the School in broadening boys’ horizons and in overcoming this gap by putting them in touch with their predecessors at the School.

“My appeal is for all Old Elizabethans to get involved and ‘give something back’: by doing so, they are exemplifying the School’s longstanding tradition and ethos of service to others and philanthropy.”

Just a few examples of Old Elizabethans who are actively engaged in supporting the School include:

• Akashi Gandhi (2005-2012), a junior doctor in Harrow, who helps aspiring Sixth Form medics with their UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) preparations and was the Guest of Honour at this year’s QE Junior Awards Ceremony;
• Neil Madhvani (1992-1999), a Switzerland-based Global Service Manager with investment bank UBS, who assists QE through regular financial donations;
• Kane Evans (2003-2010), who, since reading History at Cambridge, has forged a career in research and strategic planning, first at Manchester United FC and now with Formula 1. A regular participant in QE events, such as our Year 11 Careers Convention, he was the guest speaker at the 2017 Elizabethan Union Dinner Debate.

A contemporary take on a beach house took first prize in a Year 10 competition overseen by Cambridge Architecture student Danny Martin.

Old Elizabethan Danny, who has completed his second year at King’s College, helped out over the two days of the architectural modelling competition and judged the entries at the end of each day.

All 180 members of Year 10 were involved in the competition, which was held by the Art department as part of QE’s Enrichment Week.

Afterwards, Danny said: “The ingenuity and creativity from all groups was fantastic. I’m inspired and encouraged by the quality of all the outcomes over the two days.”

The boys were divided into teams of six and given the task of constructing 3D architectural models using only card, paper, tracing paper, pins and paper clips.

The competition rules stipulated that the constructions:

• Were to be of a contemporary design, playing with the idea of abstract shapes, negative space, light and line
• Should be structurally sound (free-standing)
• Should be no bigger than 60 cm in height, depth or width
• Could take the form of wearable architecture.

Each group was expected to work as a team and to appoint a designer and project manager, as well as assigning specific tasks, such as origami-making.

Pupils were encouraged to be innovative, creative and visionary, while also setting out the function or purpose of their model and the reason they had for creating it.

The entries created over the two days included models of museums, airports and mosques.

The overall winners came from Harrisons’ House. The team comprised: Vishruth Dhamodharan; Alan Gatehouse; Raheel Kapasi; Yuvraj Manral; Aiden Smith and Yuto Watanabe. They were commended for the design and construction of their model.

Head of Art Stephen Buckeridge said: “It conveyed the idea of a contemporary beach house and courtyard, utilising light and space in an innovative and creative way. The group worked exceptionally well as a team; they were calm and methodical, and had a clear vision for the outcome. The project management and construction displayed a range of skills, including paper-weaving, origami and nets constructed with mathematical precision.”

Civil engineer Karan Dewnani is relishing being part of one of Europe’s most high-profile projects, while also making time to contribute to society both through his career and through sport.

Karan (OE 2006–2013) first began working in the rail industry on internships while taking a Civil and Structural Engineering Master’s degree at Sheffield, which he completed in 2017. He works for the American civil engineering giant, Jacobs.

A project manager on the High Speed 2 railway, he says: “I have received great exposure to all the disciplines that are required to deliver the construction of a state-of-the-art railway. I look forward to seeing the day when the first passenger trains run between Euston and the West Midlands.”

His prior projects included a range of tube upgrades for Transport for London: “These have already been installed on the District line, improving the frequency of the service.

“In the medium term, I am working towards achieving Chartered Engineer status and Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). This is a process that has required me to demonstrate my competence as a civil engineer and is achieved by writing progress reports and having a professional career review day, typically achieved around five years after graduation.”

Karan gave early notice of his engineering prowess, winning the ICE QUEST Award in 2013, while in his final year at QE.

“I have fond memories of my time at QE and made some great friends in the seven years. I particularly enjoyed my time in the Sixth Form. I’m sure other alumni will say this too, but you realise how far ahead QE is, in terms of developing students into well-rounded and intelligent individuals, once you go to uni and compare your school life with other students.”

Karan tries to stay in touch both with the School and with fellow alumni. Last year, he gave a talk to current pupils; he recently attended Founder’s Day and the QE Careers Convention, and he is looking forward to the new University Mock Interview Evening later in the year. “Such events provide a great opportunity to meet old friends and network.”

Other volunteering activities include his work as a STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] Ambassador through the national, Government-backed scheme. “I take part in some events encouraging younger students to take up STEM activities and careers – most recently, at this month’s open day at the London Transport Museum aimed at primary school children, taking questions about jobs and careers in transportation and engineering.”

He remains a keen graduate member of the ICE and has been in touch with the School recently about the possibility of pupils participating in the #ICanEngineer competition run by ICE’s London region, which is sponsored by his employer, Jacobs, and is this year themed around the creation of new flood defences for the capital.

“In my spare time, I play tag rugby,” he adds. “This started off as a corporate league and I have continued to play with work colleagues for over a year.” He also works for the organisation, Try Tag Rugby, as a referee in its Hyde Park leagues. “I’d like to think that playing rugby in QE helped massively in me taking this up as sport, which is upcoming in the UK.”