Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
#WeWrite, a national online short story competition introduced for schoolchildren last year is back for its second edition with organisers calling for entries.
The deadline for submissions is December 1 with the winners set to be unveiled at an awards ceremony on January 15 next year.
Zimbabwe Child President Mukudzeishe Madzivire organised the first edition of the writing competition to engage children in academic activities while inculcating a culture of advocacy in young people through employment of the literary arts as a medium.
A pupil at Umvukwes/Mvurwi Primary School in Mvurwi, Lister Gatawa, emerged as the winner and walked away with $800 while Nokutenda Chimbetete, a Form 4 pupil at St George’s came out tops in the senior division and bagged $1 500. Chimbetete was followed closely by Rolihlahla Nyirenda, a Lower 6 pupil at Dominican Convent High School and Faith Baya, a Lower 6 pupil at Townsend High School who walked away with $1 000 and $500 for taking second and third positions respectively.
Madzivire said this year’s edition is set to be bigger and better as lucrative deals have been sealed for the successful hosting of the event.
“The second edition will be taking place with the aim of embracing storytelling as a mode of sparking critical discourse about socio-political discourse and in so-doing, shattering previously held narratives and building viable, equitable narratives about young people and the issues they face.
“The competition is being organised by the Dzidzo Foundation in partnership with 4H Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Junior Parliament, with massive changes including an expanded prizes list, a more diverse judging panel and individual writer feedback for shortlisted entries and others,” Madzivire said.
He said three cash prizes of US$100, US$75 and US$50 are up for grabs for the top three participants with a further five more honourable mention awards of US$20 each also available for the best entries relating to the environment, health, education, youth and gender.
Shortlisted entries are set to be compiled into a booklet to be published online.
“Each entrant is required to prepare a short story on a topic selected from an appended list of 20 approved topics.
Entries should be no more than 2 500 words in length. A five-person panel of judges will be responsible for adjudicating entries on the basis of content, style and creative value, with each entry being given a score out of a hundred.
“Entrants who use heavily politically, racially, sexually charged, or other socially unacceptable languages will be heavily penalised and risk disqualification. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and while teachers and guardians are encouraged to assist children with their entries, they must not write for entrants. Creativity in all its forms is encouraged and judges will reward interesting, unconventional but correct and contextually relevant takes on the topics.”
Madzivire said the competition is open to pupils from and secondary schools in Zimbabwe with entrants only allowed to submit one entry.
“Approved topics are An Unexpected Visitor, Self-Portrait, A Narrow Escape, The Writing on the Wall, Fare Thee Well, Turning Away, Rebirth, The Storm, It never arrived, The war raged on, A stitch in time, Reunion, False Alarm, In the Dead of the Night, The world is on fire, Survival of the Fittest, Hotel Africa, Times were tough, Leaving Home and The Wedding,” said Madzivire. – @mthabisi_mthire
Online Reporter