IT was 2153. The Earth had suffered a terrible war and a deadly virus outbreak.
Led by a teenager, a group of young survivors found their way to a distant planet with the help of artificial intelligence.
Based on this premise, Abigail Wong Zi Zhao wrote her science fiction story and entered it for the junior category of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) 2023.
To the nine-year-old’s sheer delight, she was among the participants who won a gold award for their effort.
Themed “A Youth-Led Commonwealth”, this year’s edition of the QCEC saw the submission of a record-breaking 34,924 entries for its junior (aged under 14) and senior (aged 14 to 18) categories.
“Winning feels like a dream come true, similar to discovering a hidden treasure in a far-off land like Allan, Sir Henry and Captain Good in King Solomon’s Mines.
“I still can’t quite believe it, and I’m incredibly ecstatic!” Abigail told StarEdu.
The Sekolah Sri KDU, Selangor, pupil said in writing her story, she drew inspiration from her favourite science fiction stories, such as in the novel titled The Green Book and the movie titled Wall-E.
“I wanted to show the strength of young people in the face of challenges,” she said.
Another gold award recipient of the junior category, Jaybriel Cheng Yu Zhe opted for a different topic with the aim of inspiring hope.
In the 12-year-old’s fictional story, he made a young boy born into a destitute, fractured family his main character.
The boy yearned for the extraordinary gift of superpowers to help him transcend adversity and pave the way for a better future.
How he emerged stronger from his life’s situation was the message Jaybriel wanted to home in on.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have been raised in a family overflowing with love and care. “However, the harsh reality is that not all children share my blessings. My heartfelt wish is that one day, my writing can serve as a source of hope, illuminating a path to a promising future for them,” he said.
Expressing elation at his win, the Sekolah Sri Tenby Setia Eco Park, Selangor, pupil said he vows to join the competition every year with the hope of securing the title of winner or runner-up, as that would earn him a trip to the United Kingdom.
In the senior category, Nurul Nadirah Naquyyyah won the gold award for her entry which was written in the form of a King’s speech addressing the importance of maximising youth participation in decision-making.
“I never thought I could win. I joined just to gain some experience,” said the 17-year-old Keningau Vocational College, Sabah, student.
“In my entry, I stressed that the young must not be overlooked as their contributions, no matter how small, could bring changes to their communities.
“I hope that our society, especially the adults, could take us more seriously and not underestimate us,” she added.
Bronze award recipient Jasmin Unsworth, 14, submitted a poem for the senior category under the topic “Does Age Matter?”.
She shared that seeing how her great-grandmother, who had been diagnosed with dementia, was treated by others sparked her realisation of age prejudice.
“I wanted to challenge the stereotypes placed on us to conform to various societal norms – to think, dress and act in a certain way based on age. Age doesn’t have to define a person’s thoughts, beliefs and actions,” said the Australian International School Malaysia, Selangor, student.
Open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and younger, the QCEC, hosted by the UK-based Royal Commonwealth Society, is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools.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.
Past winners have gone on to become leaders in their fields, including Malaysia-born Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mei Fong, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and the late British author Elspeth Huxley.
Li Zhen, 19, a student in Selangor, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. Applications for next year’s programme are now open. For details, go to facebook.com/niebrats. Congratulations! Johor-born Kong Yong Sin (front row, far right), who is a participant of The Star’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme, with Queen Camilla (back row, fourth from right), the three other top awardees and guests, at Buckingham Palace on Nov 16.
The 15-year-old SMK Tinggi Kluang student was named the runner-up of the senior category of this year’s edition of the 140-year-old QCEC.
While a number of awards – gold finalist, gold, silver and bronze – were given for both the junior and senior categories, only a winner and a runner-up were named for each category.
The cream of the crop recently enjoyed a “Winners’ Week” in the UK, which included a special award ceremony hosted by Camilla at Buckingham Palace.
Among the guests present at the royal reception were luminaries in their fields Ayesha Dharker, Sir Ben Okri, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Dame Joanna Lumley.
The winners of both categories, as well as the junior runner-up, are from India.
Now that you have read the article, test your understanding by carrying out the following English language activities.
1 The Star newspaper is an English language resource. How would you use it to carry out an activity during an English language lesson? Brainstorm with your friends and carry out the activity in class!
2 Let’s test your storytelling skills. Look for a picture in the newspaper. In 150 words, write a story to accompany the picture. Have fun reading and rating each other’s creative works!
The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes the use of English language in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
Tips for learning English
I love to read lots of comics and novels, which have helped me improve my language skills. I owe it to my parents, who enjoy reading and have had a big influence on me. I also have to thank my English language teacher, Ms Pan Siew Moy. Thanks to her guidance, I’ve become more confident in putting pen to paper. Just read lots of cool stuff, write stories or journals, and engage in lots of conversations using English. It doesn’t matter if you make mistakes – especially at my age. Never hesitate to ask questions. It’s all part of the fun and helps you learn. – Abigail
Reading refines my language skills and expands my vocabulary. I also actively participate in story writing competitions. These experiences allow me to receive invaluable global feedback, pushing me to further improve my skills. My tip is simple: embrace enjoyable methods. Connect your English studies with your interests. Learning through what you love makes the journey enjoyable. For example, I watch English films not only for entertainment, but also to gain inspiration and knowledge. – Jaybriel
For me, the best way to learn English is by watching English movies with English subtitles, because you can learn the pronunciation and spelling simultaneously. Or you can listen to English songs and try translating the lyrics into your language. I don’t go for the ‘learn one word a day’ technique because it’s boring. If you don’t enjoy the learning process, it is easier to lose interest in learning. The key is to enjoy the process. – Nurul Nadirah
When I discovered the power of storytelling, I became inspired to write my own stories. My teachers helped me improve my language skills and refine my stories, poems and essays. Read often and explore different types of texts to expose yourself to different writing styles, and don’t shy away from feedback. Online resources can also be super helpful in helping you tweak your writing and provide feedback in real time. – Jasmin
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