Annual English essay awards announced

BANGKOK: A student from Yothinburana School in Bangkok has been named the national winner of the 5th Annual Junior IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards for Thailand.

Pawida Krachai of Phuket Wittayalai School is the Southern winner, as judged by the editorial staff of the Phuket Gazette.

Paphawi Leksakundilok, 16, came top from about 900 entries in the nationwide contest under the theme “Once Upon a Time…”

There are also regional winners from the North, Central and Northeast. The contest promotes creative English language essay writing.

The contest is jointly organized by The Nation, Nation Junior and affiliated publications Citylife Chiang Mai in the North and Phuket Gazette in the South. The event is sponsored by international productivity consultant IMPAC, the Embassy of Ireland, Property Care Services and Kerry Group.

The junior IMPAC literary awards competition also takes place annually in Mexico, the Northeastern United States and Malaysia as well as Thailand.

The national winner from Thailand wins a trip together with one parent to Dublin, where they will attend the senior international IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards ceremony, the world’s richest literary prize.

“This year’s contest received more quality essays – both in terms of written skill and creativity – compared to the past. The national winner contest was very close between Bangkok and Chiang Mai,” said Pana Janviroj, chief operating officer of The Nation.

Paphawi is also the central region winner, where the two merit awards went to Phonnita Nakasint of St Joseph Convent School and Nattawat Sanpitaksaree of Bangkok Christian College.

The Northeastern winner is Yothin Chinsaen at Srikranuanwittayakom School, Khon Kaen, and the two merit awards go to Prasert Martyn of Khon Kaen Vithes Suksa Bilingual School and Patcharapa Chitrattanawisut of Banphai School.

Citylife Chiang Mai, the organiser of the Northern competition, declared Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn of Nakorn Payap International School, Chiang Mai as the regional winner.

The winner in each region received Bt10,000 in cash with a certificate, while the merit award winners received Bt5,000 each with a certificate.

At the award ceremony at the Windsor Suite Hotel, Dr Maryvelma Smith O’Neil, who is an American author and art historian, and Pim Kemasingki, managing editor of Citylife, were keynote speakers, sharing their experiences and inspiring the young Thai students.

The IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards competition is divided into national and regional categories and open to Thai students between the ages of 14 and 18. They are required to write an essay of between 800 and 1,200 words in length on their own.

This year’s judging panel for Bangkok and National Awards were Dr Sirikorn Maneerin, former Deputy Education Minister; HE Eugene Hutchinson, the Irish Ambassador to Thailand; Assoc Professor Suchada Nimmannit, former president of Thailand Tesol, the association of teachers of English; Assoc Professor Prathoomporn Vajrasthira, author and former international relations lecturer at Chulalongkorn University; Ajarn Atchara Pradit, head of children’s literature programme, Faculty of Humanities, Srinakharinwirot University; and Pana Janviroj of The Nation.

Click on the links below to read the award-winning stories.

Central Region Winner: Paphawi Leksakundilok

Southern Winner: Pawida Krachai

Northeastern Winner: Yothin Chinsaen

Northern Winner: Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn

Next year’s essay theme will be “So near yet so far”.

— The Nation