royal commonwealth society essay competition 2023 results

MEET THE WINNERS OF THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION  

The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world's oldest international schools' writing contest, established by the Royal Commonwealth Society in 1883. With thousands of young people taking part each year, it is an important way to recognise achievement, elevate youth voices and develop key skills through creative writing.

Each year, entrants write on a theme that explores the Commonwealth's values, fostering an empathetic worldview in the next generation of leaders and encouraging young people to consider new perspectives on the challenges that the world faces. Themes have included the environment, community, inclusion, the role of youth leadership, and gender equality.

In the past decade alone, this high-profile competition has engaged over 200,000 young people, over 5,000 schools and thousands of volunteer judges across the Commonwealth. ​

Past winners have gone on to become leaders in their fields, including the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mei Fong, and the renowned author, the late Elspeth Huxley CBE.  ​

Meet the winners of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024!

QCEC Winners' Week 2023

Meet the winners of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023

Meet The Winners Of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2022

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The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2020

The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2019

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Essay wins teen ticket to the UK

Saturday, 11 Nov 2023

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PETALING JAYA: Growing up, Kong Yong Sin was a little storyteller enchanted by the tales she read in books and the movies that she watched.

Even to this day, the 15-year-old girl has not lost her passion for the written word, drawing inspiration from the likes of author Neil Gaiman to playwright Lin Manuel-Miranda.

In fact, she was named the runner-up in the senior category of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) 2023, the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools.

Her triumph meant that she would soon be attending a “Winners’ Week” in the United Kingdom, which will include a special award ceremony hosted by Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace.

It’s no small feat as the competition received a record-breaking 34,924 entries this year.

While a number of awards was given for both the senior (ages 14 to 18) and junior (under 14) categories of the competition, only a winner and a runner-up were named for each category.

The winners in both categories, as well as the junior runner-up, are three students from India.

In her entry, Yong Sin – who is from SMK Tinggi Kluang, Johor – tackled the question “Does age matter?” with a short story titled Observations Made at a Local Kopitiam, 13th of March, 2023.

“I chose the question as its open-endedness presented a variety of angles from which to handle it.

“The setting was inspired by the kopitiam my hometown is famous for, and the structure and flow came from the influence of Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch,” she said in an interview.

ALSO READ: Johor girl to meet Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace

She also spoke of her admiration for Oscar-winning actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh and that she was taken by her speech at the Academy Awards, “so I knew I had to incorporate it into my essay somehow.”

(Yeoh, in her speech for Best Actress, said: “Ladies, don’t ever let anyone tell you you are past your prime.”)

As a first-time entrant, Yong Sin said she did not expect to win an award, let alone one of the top prizes.

She expressed her gratitude to her English language teacher Ahmad Safwan Sulaiman, who introduced her to the competition and encouraged her to give it her best shot.

“Honestly, I’ve never been one to enter competitions such as this, so this is all pretty new to me. Sir Safwan, this is for you,” she said.

Yong Sin, who will undergo an exchange semester in the United States under a scholarship next year, also thanked her grandmother for instilling an interest in the English language in her.

“Still, it is a never-ending journey. I continue to consume a variety of English media to further my proficiency in it.

“To students looking to enhance their English language, do seize every chance to converse in it, whether it’s with native speakers or fellow learners.

“Don’t fear mistakes, as the more you practise, the more comfortable you will become,” said Yong Sin, who is also a participant of The Star’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme.

The QCEC, hosted by the UK-based Royal Commonwealth Society, is open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and below.

Each year, it welcomes participants to write on a theme that stems from the Commonwealth’s values and principles, while at the same time working towards developing key literacy skills and fostering an empathetic and open-minded world view.

This year’s theme was “A Youth-Led Commonwealth,” challenging participants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and to consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.

Applications for the 2024 edition of The Star’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme are now open. For details, go to facebook.com/niebrats

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Tags / Keywords: Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition , United Kingdom , Buckingham Palace , Queen Camilla , BRATs

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023

We are delighted to share that the 2023 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is open to entries for writers aged under 18, who are nationals or residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories, as well as residents of Hong Kong, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.

The competition asks entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.

• Top prize : the top two winners from each category will be awarded with a trip to London for a week of educational and cultural events, culminating in a special awards ceremony at a royal palace.
• Awards : All successful entries will receive a certificate of participation and a number of entrants will receive Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for excellence in writing.

For full details, please refer here .

Enquiries about submissions should be directed to the Royal Commonwealth Society, please always refer to their website for complete details and information. 

Please note, this prize is run by the Royal Commonwealth Society, not the Commonwealth Foundation.

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