PETALING JAYA: Two Malaysian students have won the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) 2024, earning a trip to London where they will be hosted by Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace.
According to The Star, Liew Erynn, 13, from Puchong, and Evangeline Khoo Ke Ying, 15, from Kuala Lumpur, were named the Junior and Senior Winners, respectively, in the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society of UK.
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They will be part of the exclusive Winners’ Week from Nov 18 to 21, alongside Uganda’s Junior Runner-up, Victor Kiyaga, 13, and Singapore’s Senior Runner-up, Christabelle Yeo, 16.
The students will participate in cultural and educational activities before the highlight of the trip—a special awards ceremony hosted by Queen Camilla at the palace.
This year’s competition saw a record-breaking 34,939 entries, with participants tackling the theme “Our Common Wealth,” which explored community, resilience and hope amidst global challenges.
Erynn’s winning story, The Indian Ocean Queen’s Troubles, featured talking sea creatures expressing their distress over issues like overfishing, climate change and plastic pollution.
She had also added her own illustrations to complement the story.
The Tzu Chi International School Kuala Lumpur student, who has been writing since the age of four and aspires to be an author, told the English daily: “I feel like bursting with joy since this has been a dream of mine, and it has finally come true.”
She has previously won the Gold Finalist Award in 2021 and Gold Awards in both 2022 and 2023.
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“I feel extremely excited for Winners’ Week, as London is the number one place I have been longing to visit!
“In fact, I am eagerly looking forward to attending the awards ceremony in Buckingham Palace the most, as it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she stated.
Evangaline impressed judges with her story Ungrowing Growth, told from the perspective of plastic.
A passionate literature enthusiast, the SMK Menjalara student has previously participated in storytelling and choral speaking competitions in Bahasa Malaysia and English languages.
Twin brothers Anas Rayyan and Amir Rayyan Muhammad Shaifuddin from The Malay College Kuala Kangsar also represented Malaysia, receiving Gold Awards in this year’s competition.
“Winning this award motivates us to keep exploring new ways of expressing ourselves through writing,” they shared.
The annual QCEC, open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and under, encourages participants to write on a theme inspired by the Commonwealth’s values and principles, while promoting key literacy skills and fostering empathy and an open-minded worldview.
The QCEC has a history of producing remarkable talent, with past winners including Malaysia-born Pulitzer Prize winner Mei Fong and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Last year, 15-year-old Kong Yong Sin from SMK Tinggi Kluang, Johor, was awarded Senior Runner-up, giving her the chance to be honoured by Queen Camilla.
