The Hong Kong Young Writers Awards

Dear Principals, Teachers, Librarians, Parents and Students,

We invite your students to enter the Hong Kong Young Writers Award!

Year-upon-year, we are continually amazed by the research and thought that goes into each child’s work and we are positive this year we will continue to see some truly amazing entries.

Once again, the awards are being organised by Playtimes, one of Asia’s leading parenting and lifestyle magazines. ​​

Since the entries for the competition and the workload to organize this amazing event are growing in a fast speed we decided to create a non-profit organization – YOUTH LITERATURE FOUNDATION – that will take care of this. For more information on the organization please go to https://www.hkywa.com/home3/ylf-new-non-profit/

The Hong Kong Young Writers Awards (HKYWA) is an annual competition and fantastic opportunity for aspiring writers to showcase their talents and creativity. Our entry categories are in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and cover art.

Over the years, the awards have been sponsored by Search Group, SCAD, Cyberport, Faber-Castell, Bookazine, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, International New York Times, Techni Photo, Plus Group, El Charro, Delaney’s, Shamrock Catering, Max and Mei, Nury Vittachi and Asia Exhibits House

The competition’s main aim is to foster excellence in creativity by providing students with the opportunity to develop their expressive talents and expand their horizons. The awards encourage and recognise excellence in English writing and artwork among students, aged from 6-18, of various age groups, diverse backgrounds and different learning abilities. Since its inception in 2010, the competition has been a resounding success, with over 1,000 entries coming in from approximately 200 participating schools across Hong Kong, Macau and China in 2019.

All entries should be based on the theme for 2021, Tales from China’s Magical Mountains. One winner will be chosen in each of the groups, and one lucky student will be named The Hong Kong Young Writer of the Year.

Tales from China’s Magical Mountains

Misty mountains are presented as magical places in stories ranging from The Lord of the Rings to the Avatar movie. Yet many people don’t realize that the concept comes from a real place: the Mountains of the Yellow Emperor in eastern China, now known as Huangshan.

The mountains are breathtakingly beautiful, with their sharp peaks, raised villages and floating clouds. Some of the pine trees are believed to be 1500 years old, and tens of thousands of stone steps may be just as ancient.

A pair of poets, Li Bai and Du Fu, lived on the mountains in the 8th century, and influenced Jack Kerouac and other “beat poets” of 1950s-1960s America.

Even today, the Yellow Mountains are still a huge, mysterious place. Scientists regularly find new species of animals here, and dinosaur bones found in these and other Chinese mountains are the reason that so many stories feature dragons living in secret mountain caves.

What other secrets are there in this district? Why did poets choose to live here? Why does it feel so magical and unearthly? Who lives in the tiny village houses high above the clouds?