Creative Writing Competition

Reported by ELC

        With an attempt to nourish and explore the talents of the young writers, the English Language Centre organizes the Creative Writing Competition annually. The purpose of the writing competition is to provide a platform for students to showcase their writing skills and give them the liberty to express their views on subject according to their perspective. Besides, it  is intended to inculcate the love of writing among students as well as to foster and develop their inherent need to express themselves.  

        The Creative Writing Competition was open to all level of students with different themes:

        Student’s submissions have amazingly increased this year. The topics were quite challenging but the standard was extremely high and vast majority of essays were impressive piece of work. According to the judges this made it a very pleasant task to read through the essays but a very difficult task to judge the competition.  

        Entries came in from all levels of students ranging from EIM 1 to EAP. Once all the entries had been received, the teachers-in-charge of the competition distributed them to the panel of judges (English teachers) for each category to shortlist and select the winning entries based on the specified judging criteria. The judges worked intensively to read, re-read and grade each entry during the term break to come up with the final selections. The judging criteria included originality in storyline, creativity in message, flow and organization as well as the overall effect of the entry. The judges chose a variety of winners, ranging from comedic stories to touching memoirs and fantastic tales. The winning pieces from each category are displayed around the reading corner at ELC. Besides, it has been a practice that winning entries from the Senior Three classes are reproduced, printed and published in their annual yearbook. In order to encourage and motivate students to take part in such competition, their participations are given due recognition in their English Progress Report at the end of each semester.

        The prize-giving ceremony was held at ELC on July 19, 2016. The winners were awarded with certificates and books sponsored by Scholastic Grolier (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd which has been constantly inspiring our young writers through their generous encouragement and support through these years.

        Thank you to all who had participated and congratulations to all the winners!

        Here is the list of winners of the two categories – Prose & Verse:

EAP (PROSE)

1st Chan Huey Yung (S3 Canberra)

2nd Tan Wei Yi (S2 Chicago)

3rd Kong Yue Qin (S3 Canberra)

Consolation Gan Ming Min (S2 Washington), Lim Li Zheng (S2 Washington), Ng Yuan Chen (S2 Washington)

EAP (VERSE)

1st Victor Gan Ming Yang (S3 Manchester)

2nd Phang De Yuan (S3 Manchester)

3rd Low Keh Lee (S3 Canberra)

Consolation Ng Ann Miao (S3 Darwin), 

Beh Kah Mun (S2 Melbourne), Travis Ching Jia Yea (S3 Manchester)

EIM 5 (PROSE)

1st Oh Yue Ning, Eileen (S1 Washington)

2nd Chiah Yun Thon (S1 Adelaide)

3rd Elfi Chan Jing Ee (S1 Melburne)

Consolation   Wong Yin Hern (S1 Washington), Lau Hong Yin(S1 Washington), Quah Jinq Qi (S1 Washington)

EIM 5 (VERSE)

1st Lim Jia Yun, Ruth(S1 Adelaide)

2nd Chua Ben Shern(S1 Washington)

3rd Tan Huai Chyi (S1 Adelaide)

Consolation Ng Bren Den (S1 Adelaide), 

Jonas Tee Ming Jie (S1 Washington), Wong Kuan Hua (S1 Adelaide)

EIM 4 (PROSE)

1st Wang Shu En (J3 Adelaide)

2nd Donnell Dass (J3 Washington)

3rd Goh Wenn Yan, Breanda  (J3 Adelaide),

Consolation Phang May Chih (J3 Melbourne), Chan Zi Qing  (J3 Chicago), Gan Xue En (J3 Canberra)

EIM 4 (VERSE)

1st Mabeth Tan Oon Ling (J3 Canberra)

2nd Wesley Lau Wei Zhong (J3 Ottawa)

3rd Nicholas Chow Carson (J3 Ottawa)

Consolation Teh Song Chze (J3 Chicago), Derek Yuen Yee (J3 Washington), Lee Oswald (J3 Washington)

EIM 3 (PROSE)

1st Lim Jia Sheng, Joshua (J2 Chicago)

2nd Bernard Siow Terng Fong  (J2 Chicago)

3rd Tan Jia An  (J2 Chicago)

Consolation Chung Wai Yan (J2 Melbourne),Tan Yong Hong  (J2 Melbourne), 

Lim Ying Chuan  (J2 Chicago)

EIM 3 (VERSE)

1st Hoo Jia Xuan  (J2 Chicago)

2nd Chai Chu Xun (J2 Washington)

3rd Chelsea Sung Jing Yi  (J2 Washington)

Consolation Stacy Jean Toolseram  (J2 Washington),  Adele Wong Ray En  (J2 Washington)

EIM 2 (PROSE)

1st Kimberley Yee Xin Wei (J1 Melbourne)

2nd Yap Jia Wen (J2 Birmingham)

3rd Chua Li Earn (J1 Adelaide)

Consolation Chan Ning (J1 Canberra), Koon Xin Yin (J1 Chicago), Chan Jun Cong (J1 Chicago)

EIM 2 (VERSE)

1st Ng Ming Vee (J1 Washington)

2nd Tan Jinn Shen (J1 Washington)

3rd Tan Hui Yi (J1 Washington)

Consolation Debbie Yuen Hui Yee (J1 Washington), Wan Jia Hao (J1 Melbourne), Lew Xin Yun (J1 Adelaide)

EIM 1 (PROSE)

1st Tan Jia Ern (J1 London)

2nd Chua Jing Wen (J1 Toronto)

3rd Loong Chay Hui (J1 Vancouver)

Consolation Cha Yu Tong (J1 Toronto), Tee Xiu Wen (J1 Darwin), Shun Chin Xiang (J1 Paris)

Second Prize Winner (VERSE - EIM 4 ): 

Wesley Lau Wei Zhong (J3 Ottawa)

 

      I felt honoured to have won this competition. I didn't think that I'd have won as I thought my work was not as good as the other participants from my class. I want to thank my English teacher, Ms. Chua and my friends for helping me and encouraging me to finish the poem, I am 100% sure that  if it hadn’t been their help, I wouldn't have won. Winning this competition is a huge honour.

First Prize Winner (PROSE – EAP): 

Chan Huey Yung  (S3 Canberra)

        I started writing stories when I was seven, mere replicas of my favourite scenes in my favourite books, all incorporated into my own personal world. They were imaginative and illogical - exactly what you would expect from a seven-year-old , but it was then that I realised that the very best, never-ending book was all there, right in my head, just waiting for me to pour it all out on ink and paper. It was this knowledge that kept me searching for inspiration in my daily life, and to aspire a future in writing, even though I was too busy at times to get any writing done. To be honest, when I was first presented with the topic, I had no idea how to go about it. I started with random ideas, which eventually rearranged themselves into a vague story that was not as good as I wanted it to be - but the deadline was near I was desperate. I did whatever I could and just handed it in, fingers crossed for a consolation prize and no more. The first prize came as a pleasant surprise. A special thanks to the teachers for allowing me the opportunity to write and participate in the creative writing competition. Gratitude on paper is not much, but it is the best I can do.