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The queen’s commonwealth essay competition 2024 is now open for entries .

‘Our Common Wealth’

The theme for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which will take place in Samoa in October 2024, is ‘One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth’.    

Nearly half of Commonwealth countries are Small Island Developing States like Samoa that are disproportionately affected by climate change. Communities across the Commonwealth are also facing a range of challenges, including economic growth, peace and security. Creating strong and resilient societies is now more important than ever.   

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 asks entrants to consider how they deal with adversity, and how community and culture can be used to encourage resilience and hope in a world with a growing number of global issues.  

​ The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 is now open for entries until 15 May 2024.  Please use the widget below or  this link to submit your entries. 

​ SENIOR CATEGORY 

(Born between 16 May 2005 and 15 May 2010 (14-18 years of age)) 

​”It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.”– Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. What small steps can you take to help tackle the climate crisis?   

• Write a speech highlighting what you think is the most challenging issue facing the world today, and how Commonwealth values can be used to solve it.      
• At the heart of Samoan way of life is ‘aiga’, meaning ‘family’ values including selflessness, hospitality, co-operation, respect and dignity. What core values and ideas from your culture can be used to enhance co-operation and community in the Commonwealth?  
• The Commonwealth’s London Declaration aimed to strive for peace, liberty and progress. Write a letter to your President or Prime Minister about how to achieve those aims. 

JUNIOR CATEGORY 

(Born on or after 16 May 2010 (under 14 years of age))

​What new habit could you adopt to positively contribute towards a greener Commonwealth?   

• Write a dialogue between yourself and a grandparent about resilience and hope. What can you share with the older generation, and what can you learn from them?  
• You are taking part in a beach clean-up and discover that you can speak to sea creatures. What are they saying, and how do you respond?
• You’re on a school exchange in a Commonwealth country different to your own. How do you make friends with people your age? (Consider similarities and differences in culture that may unite you).

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 is now open for entries until 15 May 2024.  

Please use  this link to submit your entries

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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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Essay Competition

Every year, the Commonwealth Essay Competition inspires thousands of young writers from all over the world. Organised by the RCS, this international youth writing contest has been running for over 100 years – the world’s oldest and largest – and is a highly regarded and popular international education project.

Open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 or under, the Essay Competition offers young people the opportunity to make their voice heard on a global platform, encouraging students to engage with issues which are important to them.

THE TOPICS FOR THE 2011 COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION HAVE NOW BEEN ANNOUNCED! click to read

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Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 (Prize + Certificate)

If you have good essay-writing skills and want to participate in an international competition. Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is for you to show your skills and is currently open. In this article, we will explain in detail about this competition, its prize and step by step application process.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools, established in 1883. With thousands of young people taking part each year, it is an important way to recognize achievement, elevate youth voices and develop key skills through creative writing.

To mark the 50th Anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, Commonwealth Heads of Government declared 2023 a year dedicated to youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development and called on renewal and strengthening of our commitment to youth engagement and empowerment.

Of the Commonwealth’s population of almost 2.5 billion people, 60% are under the age of 30. This young demographic represents a dynamic ‘youth force for change’, made up of exceptional young people who are increasingly involved in advocacy, decision-making and action.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023 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.

The Society has a rich history of nurturing the creative talents of young people around the Commonwealth and we endeavour to promote literacy, expression and creativity by celebrating excellence and imagination. The Competition invites all young Commonwealth citizens and residents, regardless of region, education or background, to share ideas, celebrate their story and have their voice heard. Through partnerships with Book Aid International, Worldreader and the National Literacy Trust, the Society is working to increase access to this opportunity for a wider range of young people.

Scholarship Summary

• Level of Study: Competition
• Institution(s): The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS)
• Study in: UK
• Deadline: May 15, 2024

Essay Topics

The theme for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which will take place in Samoa in October 2024, is ‘One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth’.    

Nearly half of Commonwealth countries are Small Island Developing States like Samoa that are disproportionately affected by climate change. Communities across the Commonwealth are also facing a range of challenges, including economic growth, peace and security. Creating strong and resilient societies is now more important than ever.   

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 asks entrants to consider how they deal with adversity, and how community and culture can be used to encourage resilience and hope in a world with a growing number of global issues.  

SENIOR CATEGORY

(Born between 16 May 2005 and 15 May 2010 (14-18 years of age)) 

• “It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.”– Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. What small steps can you take to help tackle the climate crisis?   
• Write a speech highlighting what you think is the most challenging issue facing the world today, and how Commonwealth values can be used to solve it.      
• At the heart of Samoan way of life is ‘aiga’, meaning ‘family’ values including selflessness, hospitality, co-operation, respect and dignity. What core values and ideas from your culture can be used to enhance co-operation and community in the Commonwealth?  
• The Commonwealth’s London Declaration aimed to strive for peace, liberty and progress. Write a letter to your President or Prime Minister about how to achieve those aims. 

JUNIOR CATEGORY

(Born on or after 16 May 2010 (under 14 years of age))

• What new habit could you adopt to positively contribute towards a greener Commonwealth?   
• Write a dialogue between yourself and a grandparent about resilience and hope. What can you share with the older generation, and what can you learn from them?  
• You are taking part in a beach clean-up and discover that you can speak to sea creatures. What are they saying, and how do you respond?
• You’re on a school exchange in a Commonwealth country different to your own. How do you make friends with people your age? (Consider similarities and differences in culture that may unite you).

Scholarship Coverage/Prize

Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition provides the recipient with the following benefits:

– All entrants receive a Certificate of Participation and one Winner and Runner-up from the Senior and Junior categories will win a trip to London for a week of educational and cultural events.

– Prizes have traditionally been awarded only to the first prize winners in the Senior and Junior categories and also vary year by year. This means they are not able to confirm what the prizes will be until after the winners are announced in August 2024. Past prizes have included:

• Resources for winner’s school
• Certificates
• Visits to Cambridge University
• A trip to London and a week of activities
• Having your entry featured in worldwide media
• Work experience at international organisations, and
• RCS regional and branch offices often hold ceremonies or offer prizes. Please contact your nearest RCS branch after the competition closes on June 30, 2024, to inquire about any activities planned.

Eligibility Criteria for Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition

To participate in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, following is the criteria:

• Required Language:  All entries must be written in English.
• Eligible Countries: Nationals and residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories aged 18 and under are eligible to enter the competition, including entrants from Zimbabwe.
• Entries are accepted from residents of non-Commonwealth countries who submit through their local RCS branch.
• Entrants can be presented in any form/method of creative writing. Pictures/Illustrations are particularly encouraged in the Junior Category.

How to Apply for Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition?

Please follow the following important application instructions to participate in Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition:

Online Submission:

• The Royal Commonwealth Society is building a new online platform that will be much easier to use and accessible on all devices, but it’s not quite ready yet.
• They are encouraging young people to begin writing their pieces and will open the new platform for submissions in early 2024.
• Please note: They do not accept essays sent by email.

Offline Submissio n  ( P ost):  (Check the  How to Enter  section in the official website for more details)

• Offline submissions are very difficult to process and can mean that your entry arrives after the Competition closing date. They will only accept an offline entry where the person submitting has no access to internet and is unable to submit online.
• If you are submitting your entry by post, please complete an entry form (Can be found in the official website) in block capitals and attach it to the front of your essay. Entries should be sent to your nearest postal hub, details of which are listed below.
• Please note that for postal entries, your essay must be received by June 30, 2023 in order to be eligible. They, therefore, suggest that you send your essay with plenty of time for delivery, as essays received by a postal hub after June 30 will not be considered in the competition.
• Check the official website for posting address.

To know more about Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, please visit the official website:

Official Website

Related Scholarships: 

• UK Scholarships

Cambridge University Library Special Collections

Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition: write around the world

The RCS Library is delighted to announce that a significant recent deposit of essays from The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition has been added to its on-line catalogue (ARCS 20). The competition, originally established in 1883 by the Royal Commonwealth Society, and now run in partnership with Cambridge University Press, is the world’s oldest international schools’ writing contest. It reflects the society’s enduring aim to foster the creative talent of young people throughout the Commonwealth by encouraging literacy, self-expression and imagination.  Last year’s competition, which attracted almost 13,500 entries from primary to Sixth Form students from virtually every Commonwealth country, emphasises its continuing success. The theme of the 2017 competition is ‘A Commonwealth for Peace.’ The library already holds essays from 1922 to 1985 (with some gaps), and all surviving prize winning entries from these years have been digitised and are freely available on the Apollo digital repository .

The latest deposit includes prize winners from the years 1991 to 2009, and a very large collection of commended and other essays for the years 2002-09, totalling more than 20,000. The essays represent an excellent resource for many fields of research relating to education, and for assessing the opinions of intelligent, articulate and engaged young adults throughout the Commonwealth on a host of contemporary political, social and cultural issues. It is impossible here to list all the topics for each year, which range from the light-hearted to the serious, or to single out individual essays. The essays are occasionally accompanied by examiners’ reports, which contain insightful comparative analysis of entries, as an example from 2009 illustrates. One examiner of essays written by thirteen to sixteen year olds (Class B) commented upon the originality, insight and eloquence with which many responded to the themes ‘Tracks’ and ‘The Long Way Home.’  Many reflected upon the theme of war: its aftermath, consequences and the return to a home country after fighting abroad, while others addressed concerns of especial relevance to young adults such as unwanted pregnancies, abortion and abusive relationships.  The examiner concluded, ‘It is remarkable to see such young writers master such sophisticated themes and topics spurred by such vague titles.’

A dedicated and conscientious team of Reader Services Assistants in the Rare Books Department have listed each essay, recording name of author, age, school, country, gender and essay topic. Thanks to their hard work, it will be easy for researchers to quickly sort through the essays, identifying for example, how many students from a particular country or gender answered individual questions, whether they lived in the developed or developing worlds, or studied in state or private schools. In the Class B examiner’s group discussed above, for example, 62 of 150 writers (almost half), were inspired by the theme ‘The Long Way Home.’  They represented thirty different countries, with the three largest numbers of entries drawn from Singapore, Pakistan and India.  Many of the essays are illustrated, especially by younger authors, accompanied by beautiful original art work or photographs, which reinforce their themes. The three examples shown here were the work of eleven and twelve year olds from Class D 2009.

Researchers wishing to view these recently-acquired essays and their listings, and to request reproductions, must first consult staff in the Royal Commonwealth Society Department.

A catalogue of the full collection may be found here .

10 comments

Hi there.. I received a highly commended for Category D (?) in 1997 and was wondering if there are any records of it in the archives? I remember the RCS had a physical book listing all names of prize winners, and my name was in it at the local library many years ago. I would like to know if there is any formal record as such and if the essays are still available?

Hi there, I’d like to know if there were entries from Nigeria between 1984 and 1986. Would also like to know the year Nigeria began to participate in the Queen’s commonwealth essays.

The University Library is currently closed as part of the COVID-19 lockdown, but I will reply as soon as I have access to the essay competition archives.

All the best, John

Thank you so very much!

Hello, I would like to know if we can type the essays, or have to write them.

If you are thinking about participating in the current competition, information about submitting essays may be found here, https://www.royalcwsociety.org/essay-competition .

Hello John, Thank you.

Hello, I would like to know where can I see the winners’ written essays? Are they published?

The entries from 1922-1985 have been scanned and are available in our Apollo repository: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/225222 Copyright in the essays resides with the Royal Commonwealth Society. If you wish to re-publish the essays in any format you will need to seek permission from the Society. The most recent winning entries are available on the RCS website: https://www.royalcwsociety.org/essay-competition

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024

Deadline: May 15, 2024 23:59 BST [Oops, the opportunity has already expired. Sign up to AlphaGamma weekly newsletters to stay ahead of the game] | Apply here Eligibility: nationals or residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories, as well as residents of Hong Kong, Ireland, and Zimbabwe

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest international writing competition, and it celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024. The competition invites all young writers to try their skills and amplify their voices.

Winners will be invited to London for a week filled with educational and cultural events. Moreover, the culmination of the week will hold a special Awards Ceremony. In addition, all successful entries will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Eligibility for the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024

The competition welcomes nationals or residents from all Commonwealth countries and territories, along with residents from Hong Kong, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. Residents of non-Commonwealth countries with an operational RCS branch or affiliated/partner organization can apply through their local RCS branch.

Categories and topics

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition offers two categories, each featuring four potential topics to explore. There is no minimum word count requirement, but all entries must be written in English. The respective limits and topics for each category are listed below.

Senior Category

Senior entrants must be born between 16 May 2005 and 15 May 2010 (14-18 years). The maximum word counts are 1,500 words for all topics and formats.

• “It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.”– Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. What small steps can you take to help tackle the climate crisis?   
• Write a speech highlighting what you think is the most challenging issue facing the world today, and how Commonwealth values can be used to solve it.      
• At the heart of the Samoan way of life is ‘aiga’, meaning ‘family’ values including selflessness, hospitality, cooperation, respect, and dignity. What core values and ideas from your culture can be used to enhance cooperation and community in the Commonwealth?  
• The Commonwealth’s London Declaration aimed to strive for peace, liberty, and progress. Write a letter to your President or Prime Minister about how to achieve those aims. 

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Junior category

Junior entrants must be born after 16 May 2010 (under 14 years of age). The maximum word counts are 750 words for all topics and formats.

• What new habit could you adopt to positively contribute towards a greener Commonwealth? 
• Write a dialogue between yourself and a grandparent about resilience and hope. What can you share with the older generation, and what can you learn from them? 
• You are taking part in a beach clean-up and discover that you can speak to sea creatures. What are they saying, and how do you respond? 
• You’re on a school exchange in a Commonwealth country different from your own. How do you make friends with people your age? (Consider similarities and differences in culture that may unite you).

Interested in applying for the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024? Register your participation by following the registration link  and taking the suggested steps.

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2019

• Deadline June 1, 2019
• Region Online

The Royal Commonwealth Society is pleased to announce the theme for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2019 – A Connected Commonwealth .

Building on the 2018 theme of Towards a Common Future, this year’s topics ask young writers to explore the shared values, interests and experiences across the network, and how they can use this to make positive change. It calls on young people to consider the potential of the Commonwealth in strengthening the cast and varied links between citizens.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall announced the 2019 theme ‘A Connected Commonwealth’, which calls upon young people to consider how they can work to use cultural, technological and environmental connections for positive change across the Commonwealth. The Competition is an opportunity for all young Commonwealth citizens and residents, regardless of region, education or background, to share ideas, celebrate their story and have their voice heard – all whilst developing key skills.

For 2019, they want to hear from all young people, regardless of schooling, education or region. All stories and voices are important.

• You are the most optimistic, connected generation the world has ever known.’ HRH The Duke of Sussex. How can you use Commonwealth connections for positive change?
• Connected by the oceans; can we work together to protect the environment?
• ‘We are all now connected by the Internet’ – Stephen Hawking. What does the future hold for humankind?
• Family, Community, Nation, Commonwealth. What are the opportunities for shared, sustainable growth?
• My cultural connections.
• An overseas visitor is coming to your town for the first time. How would you connect with them?
• A place I feel connected to.
• The Commonwealth connects people across borders – what can we learn from our neighbours?

Judges described entries to the competition in 2018 as ‘‘fantastically imaginative’, ‘hopeful’, ‘quite exceptional’ and ‘passionate’. They expect a similarly high calibre of writing for 2019.

This unique and highly regarded competition aims to challenge young people’s thinking and the means by which they can express their views, using creative forms of writing such as essays, poems, stories or scripts. Since 2010, the Competition has received more than 87,000 entries including almost 12,000 entries in 2018, from 600 schools across almost every Commonwealth nation. Entries are judged by 150 pan-Commonwealth volunteers and winners are selected by an expert panel, including poets, publishers, scriptwriters and journalists.

The Competition has been managed by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883 and will be open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under, until 1 June 2019. A Winner and Runner-up from both the Senior and Junior categories will win a trip to London for a week-long series of educational and cultural events, typically including an Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

• All entrants receive a Certificate of Participation and one Winner and Runner-up from the Senior and Junior categories will win a trip to London for a week of educational and cultural events.
• Certificates
• Resources for winner’s school
• Visits to Cambridge University
• A trip to London and a week of activities
• Work experience at international organisations, and
• Having your entry featured in worldwide media
• RCS regional and branch offices often hold ceremonies or offer prizes. Please contact your nearest RCS branch after the competition closes on 1 June 2018, to inquire about any activities planned.

Eligibilities

The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth Countries aged 18 and under

Application Process

• The Royal Commonwealth Society is building a new online platform that will be much easier to use and accessible on all devices, but it’s not quite ready yet.
• They are encouraging young people to begin writing their pieces and will open the new platform for submissions in early 2019.
• Please note: They do not accept essays sent by email.
• Offline submissions are very difficult to process and can mean that your entry arrives after the Competition closing date. They will only accept an offline entry where the person submitting has no access to internet and is unable to submit online.
• If you are submitting your entry by post, please complete an entry form (Can be found in the official website) in block capitals and attach it to the front of your essay. Entries should be sent to your nearest postal hub, details of which are listed below.
• Please note that for postal entries, your essay must be received by 1 May 2019 in order to be eligible. They, therefore, suggest that you send your essay with plenty of time for delivery, as essays received by a postal hub after 1 May will not be considered in the competition.
• Check the official website for posting address

Application Deadline: June 1, 2019

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MEET THE WINNERS OF THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION 2022

The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world's oldest international schools' writing contest, established by the 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 world view in the next generation of leaders and encouraging young people to consider new perspectives to 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 approximately 140,000 young people, over 5,000 schools and thousands of volunteer judges across the Commonwealth. 

This year, the competition theme was 'Our Commonwealth', reflecting on our Patron Queen Elizabeth II's seven decades of service to the Commonwealth as an inspiring example of the steadfast commitment and important contribution we can all make to our societies.

We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 26,322 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and India. Find out more about this year's winners below and watch their reactions on discovering this significant achievement!

Sawooly Li 

Senior Winner 

Age 17, New Zealand 

Sawooly Li is a 12th grade student from Rangitoto College in New Zealand. Reading and writing have always been second nature for her—a way of expressing visions, thoughts, and emotions. She loves drawing inspiration and learning from other great writers and their works. Both reading and writing are things which Sawooly aspires to continue far, far, into the future.

Sawooly also has a love for maths and physics, and is heavily involved in such areas in her school, running clubs and participating in competitions. Fostering a strong sense of community, she also leads several in-school organisations, such as UN Youth and UNICEF. In the winters, Sawooly enjoys snowboarding in New Zealand’s beautiful mountains with friends and family.

Read Sawooly's winning entry, 'Willow Trees and Waterholes' .

Madeleine Wood

Junior Winner 

Age 14, Australia 

Madeleine is 14 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is in grade 8 at Camberwell Girls Grammar School.

She loves travelling, particularly through Europe, and enjoys visiting the museums, historical landmarks and cities in each country. It is from these experiences that she gained a love for ancient, medieval, and renaissance history.

She is also an avid reader, plays the violin and spends much of her time playing basketball or swimming.

Read her winning poem, 'Catalina' .

Amaal Fawzi

Senior Runner-up

Age 17, United Kingdom

Amaal Fawzi is a 17-year-old girl who was born in Egypt, raised in Lebanon, and now lives in East London. She has an Iraqi father and a British mother, and because of the education system in Lebanon, she has started university a year early! She studies English Literature with Creative Writing and has been writing poetry for many years, though she wouldn’t say she’s been writing poetry well for all of them.

Most of the poetry and prose she likes to write is concerned with culture and identity. Her years in Lebanon formed the majority of her character and cultural experiences, so learning to interact with that in the UK has been a very interesting season. It makes for a lot of writing material, and she’d say that the way she writes is always personal and drawn somehow from her own life.

Read Amaal's poem, 'Nursing Homes' . 

Maulika Pandey

Junior  Runner-up

Age 13, India

Maulika Pandey, is an 8th grade student from Aurum the Global School.

She has always enjoyed writing since she was a child as she feels writing gives her the power to express her feelings in a creative way. Maulika also enjoys sketching and playing the guitar. Basketball is her favourite sport.

She aspires to be a successful entrepreneur but will definitely continue writing in the future.

She is a dedicated advocate for anti-bullying and body positivity.

Read her entry titled, 'The Molai Forest' .

Young writers from Zambia and Singapore receive prizes at Buckingham Palace Award Ceremony

On Wednesday 26 October the Winners and Runners-up of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2016 attended an Award Ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

On Wednesday 26 October the winners and runners-ups of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2016 attended an Award Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The special reception was hosted by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

Junior Winner Gauri Kumar, 14, from Singapore; Senior Runner-up Esther Mungalaba, 19, from Lusaka, Zambia and Junior Runner-up Tan Wan Gee, 14, also from Singapore were each presented with their certificates by The Duchess. Senior Winner Inessa Rajah, from South Africa, was unable to attend the Award Ceremony. She will, however, celebrate her achievement with the Royal Commonwealth Society during Commonwealth Week in March 2017. 

The young writers were flown to London for Winners’ Week – a week-long programme of cultural and educational activities, including a tour of Parliament and a day trip to Cambridge, the latter organised by the competition’s sponsor, Cambridge University Press.

Among the 70 guests at the reception were Children’s Laureate, illustrator Chris Riddell and representatives from the Governments of Singapore and Zambia. Commonwealth organisations were also represented with guests including Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Minister for the Middle East and Africa, Tobias Ellwood MP, Director of The Queen’s Trust, Nicola Brentnall MVO and other prominent figures.

Awarded for their submissions on the 2016 competition theme ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth,’ the Winners explored contemporary topics including the struggle to find a diasporic identity, the importance of equality and the global migrant crisis.

Gauri Kumar said: “Winners’ Week has been amazing, Buckingham Palace is breathtaking.”

Gauri continued: “The topic of my essay is a very pertinent issue with my family and it comes up a lot.”

On speaking with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall at the event Tan Wan Gee said: “She asked me about what inspired me to write my poem. She was incredibly nice.”

Esther Mungalaba said: “Buckingham Palace is beautiful. It feels overwhelming to be here and with such important people.”

On her advice to young aspiring writers Esther said: “If you really love writing or have an idea that you feel even one person in the world should know about then you should take this step and find out more about the essay competition, you won’t regret it.”

Claire Whitaker OBE said: “As the Chair of Trustees of the Royal Commonwealth Society, I am immensely proud of our work in facilitating this essay competition in the name of our patron, Her Majesty The Queen. The success of this year’s competition is a testament to the continuing importance and relevance of the Commonwealth and its values for young people.”

Photo: David Madden

Notes to editors:

Find out more information about the Competition, and the Winners and Runners-up

Senior Winner: Dr. Congo-man, Inessa Rajah, South Africa, aged 17

Senior Runner-up: Let Them In: A Short Discourse Outlining How Complicated These Three Words Can Be, Esther Mungalaba, Zambia, aged 19

Junior Winner: Untitled, Gauri Kumar, Singapore, aged 14

Junior Runner up: Are We Really So Different?/ Dear Santa, Tan Wan Gee, Singapore, aged 14

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition was founded in 1883 and is the world’s oldest international schools’ writing contest. The competition is sponsored by Cambridge University Press and received approximately 13,500 entries from almost every country in the Commonwealth.

The theme of the 2016 competition was An Inclusive Commonwealth, which is also the 2016 Commonwealth Year theme.

The 2017 competition was launched on 21 September 2016, International Day of Peace, with the theme 'A Commonwealth for Peace', reflecting the overall 2017 Commonwealth theme 'A peace-building Commonwealth'.

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) , founded in 1868, is a network of individuals and organisations committed to improving the lives and prospects of Commonwealth citizens across the world. Through youth empowerment, education and advocacy, the RCS promotes the value and values of the Commonwealth. 

Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world’s oldest publishing house and the second-largest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press has been a sponsor of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition since 2013. 

Media enquiries:

Rachel Ilett, Media and Communications Officer, The Royal Commonwealth Society E: [email protected] |T: +44 (0)20 3727 4311 | M: +44 (0)7718 476 234