WHEN Earby student Susan Cannon-Tullett entered a poetry competition last year she had no idea her poem would get into print.

Susan, 30, of Old Lane, spotted an advert in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph asking people to enter poems describing what women's lives are like today.

After encouragement from her husband Robert, Susan decided to give it a go.

Her poem, "I Am," which begins with the lines "Where does it say girls have to wear dresses and produce sickly smiles," was chosen from thousands to appear in a national poetry anthology for 2001.

Susan's poem appears on pages 107 and 108 of the book, "When Chocolate's Not Enough", which will go on sale on April 30, published by Women's Words of Peterborough, which ran the competition.

A project manager at Brunshaw Community Training and Advice Centre in Burnley, Susan is also studying part time for a MA degree in scriptwriting for television and radio at Salford University.

She said: "My background is in women's studies because that's what I graduated in so I thought I would stick to what I know.

"I want to concentrate on TV at the moment. I'd like to write comedy eventually but at the moment we are focusing on drama. I have never had anything published before. I was pleased but surprised because poetry wasn't something I had considered."

She added: "I have ordered a copy of this book for my mum who is very proud of me and for my sister and sister in law. I'd definitely enter again."

The poem could now be chosen as one of the publisher's top 100. WRITE STUFF: Susan Cannon-Tullett with the poem, 'I Am', which will be published