New Tales of China’s Silk Road
Twenty-two centuries ago, some intrepid Chinese people spent months trekking westwards to see if they could sell silk to new customers.
The trip was a big success—and soon grew into a two-way trade route, joining Europe to China’s Chang’an, which became the biggest city in the world.
The Silk Road became one of the most important journeys in history, with east and west exchanging wonderful foods, remarkable inventions, stunning art, and creative ideas.
It remained popular for more than one and a half thousand years, finally disappearing in the mid-1400s.
But it was revived in 2013 and quickly become the biggest international trade project in world history, with 150 countries becoming involved.
You could write about the first people to do the journey. Or the last!
Or about people from different countries learning about each other.
Or you could write about what the new Silk Road could achieve, as the world changes.
Use your imagination!
We invite your students to enter the 17th competition of the Hong Kong Young Writers Award!
We are also delighted to announce that the award scheme has gained such popularity, that it now boasts the support of a non-profit organisation, THE YOUTH LITERATURE FOUNDATION. For more information on the foundation please go to https://www.hkywa.com/home3/ylf-new-non-profit/
Year-upon-year, we are continually amazed by the research and thought that goes into each child’s work and I’m positive this year we will continue to see some truly amazing entries.
The Awards are organised by The Youth Literature Foundation.
The Hong Kong Young Writers Awards (HKYWA) is an annual competition and fantastic opportunity for aspiring writers to showcase their talents and creativity. Our entry categories are in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and cover art.
Over the years, the awards have been sponsored by Search Group, SCAD, Cyberport, Max and Mei, Nury Vittachi, Faber-Castell, Bookazine, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, International New York Times, Techni Photo, Plus Group, El Charro, Delaney’s, Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Shamrock Catering, Friday Everyday and Asia Exhibits House.
The competition’s main aim is to foster excellence in creativity by providing students with the opportunity to develop their expressive talents and expand their horizons. The awards encourage and recognise excellence in English writing and artwork among students, aged from 6-18, of various age groups, diverse backgrounds and different learning abilities. Since its inception in 2010, the competition has been a resounding success, with more than 1900+ innovative entries coming in from 400+ participating teachers across Hong Kong, Macau and China in 2025.
All entries should be based on the theme for 2023, New Tales of China’s Silk Road. One winner will be chosen in each of the groups, and one lucky student will be named The Hong Kong Young Writer of 2026.
Please note that we do not accept submissions directly from students. Students must first submit to their teachers, who will then have to choose 10 entries to forward to the next round of the contest.
You can print out the registration and submission instructions below or view them online.
