World news story

2013 Commonwealth Essay Competition: Open For Entries!

Run by the RCS since 1883, the Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest and largest schools’ international writing competition.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Following Her Majesty The Queen’s meeting with this year’s Competition winners, the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) in partnership with Cambridge University Press has launched the 2013 Commonwealth Essay Competition.

Run by the RCS since 1883, the Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest and largest schools’ international writing competition. Past winners include Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore and Elspeth Huxley.

The theme of the competition is ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’ – next year’s Commonwealth theme – and participants are invited to enter via post or submit entries online from January 2013.

The Competition aims to celebrate and nurture the creative talents of young people across the Commonwealth, providing a platform for students to compete with their peers in each of the 54 nations which make up this unique association.

In 2012 over 8,000 young writers took part and 1,000 participants from 245 schools, in 38 countries across the Commonwealth received an award for their entry. The closing date is1st May 2013 and result will be announced in the autumn of next year, when a Junior and Senior Prize Winner and Runner up will be announced and our judges will make a number of gold, silver and bronze awards.

Deputy Director of the RCS, Catherine Clark said: “The 2013 Commonwealth Essay Competition offers students an opportunity to explore enterprise in a creative and international environment. In 2013 we want to see students in each of the 54 Commonwealth countries receiving awards and we are confident that the success of the Jubilee Time Capsule and our recent partnership with the Cambridge University Press will help us towards that goal.”

Director of International Education, Cambridge University Press, Claudia Bickford-Smith said: “We are so pleased to be able to support the Commonwealth Essay Competition. The Press aims to advance learning, knowledge and research worldwide and this partnership will be an exciting way with engaging with thousands of young writers from the Commonwealth countries.”

For more information on the 2013 Competition, including topics and rules of entry visit RCS website.

Further Information

The Royal Commonwealth Society: Founded in 1868, the RCS conducts a range of events and activities aimed at promoting international understanding. Its educational, youth and cultural programmes include one of the world’s oldest and largest schools essay competitions, and an innovative international youth leadership programme. HM Queen Elizabeth II is Patron and Peter Kellner is Chairman. Headquartered at the Commonwealth Club in London, the RCS has some 4000 members in the UK and a presence in 40 Commonwealth countries through a network of branches and Commonwealth societies. The RCS is a registered charity in England & Wales (226748)

Cambridge University Press: Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Its purpose is to further the University’s objective of advancing learning, knowledge and research. Its peer-reviewed publishing lists comprise 45,000 titles covering academic research, professional development, over 300 research journals, school-level education, English language teaching and bible publishing.

Cambridge University Press dates from 1534 and plays a leading role in today’s international market place. Cambridge has over 50 offices around the globe, and it distributes its products to nearly every country in the world. It publishes titles in 70 different languages drawn from authors in 120 different countries.

A pioneer in academic and educational publishing, Cambridge University Press is committed to supporting innovation in learning and teaching. Cambridge publishes without boundaries, ensuring its resources are accessible across the globe, in print, online and other digital formats.

The Commonwealth: The modern Commonwealth was established with 8 members in 1949. In 2012, it has 54 members with a total population of over 2 billion. It is an association of governments and peoples, built around shared language, institutions, challenges, aspirations and values. The Commonwealth promotes democracy, development, and diversity within its member countries and across the world.

Contacts:

For all media enquiries, please contact Verity Sharp on +44 (0) 20 7766 9227

Marcus Winsley, Director, Press and Communications, British High Commission, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021, Tel: 44192100; Fax: 26870065, Upendra.Singh@fco.gov.uk; Twitter @UKinIndia

Published 19 December 2012