QE retains literature quiz cup in nail-biter!

A team from QE has won the regional heat of an international children’s literature competition for the second year in a row.

Team Bookworm, comprising Lev Shafran, Ethan Solanki, Arjun Patel and Sultan Khokhar, all of Year 8, retained the Kids’ Lit Quiz cup in a closely fought North West London heat with a score of 86 points, just half-a-point ahead of University College School in second place.

The teams had to tackle 10 rounds of 10 questions each and had a joker they could play in one round to double their points. Questions ranged from the relatively straightforward to the more difficult, such as ‘Which 11th Century noblewoman, who has a statue in Coventry, rode naked through the streets on her horse?’ (Lady Godiva).

Team Bookworm were joined in the competition by Team Phoenix, which was made up of Year 8 boys Ye-Sung Baek and Siddhant Kansal, and by Year 7 pupils Leo Dane-Liebesny and Charlie Carolan-Boss.

“Both QE teams performed exceptionally well,” said Librarian Ciara Murray, who oversaw the School’s participation. “Only a few points separated them, so every answer and every contribution from the team members counted. I continue to be extremely impressed by the boys’ retention of information from the hundreds of books they have read.”

The QE participants were also helped by a timely assembly led recently by Religion & Society teacher Geraldine Booth, which had looked at real and literary heroes. One of the competition’s themed round was on the topics of heroes and included questions on Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks and Malala Yousafzai, all of whom had featured in the assembly.

“The boys have been preparing for the quiz since October,” said Ms Murray. “They overcame previous national and international winners including Arnold House School, the host for this year’s heat. This was a notable achievement as QE has only entered the competition on two occasions and has won the regional final both times.”

Team Bookworm will now go on to the national final at City of London School for Girls. This takes the form of a ‘fastest-finger first’ buzzer round; the winner will travel to Toronto in Canada next summer for the international final.