Udon Thani student wins

The competition was divided into two rounds - a regional one covering the North, Northeast, South and Bangkok or Central, and a national round.
The event, under the theme “Two Worlds”, attracted some 1,000 entries from students nationwide, and the top national honour went to Kantawan Magkunthod from Udonpittayanukoon School in the Northeast province of Udon Thani. 

Kantawan, who walked away with a Bt10,000 cash prize and certificate, will also have a chance to attend the senior International IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards – considered the richest literary prize in the world.

City Life Chiang Mai, which oversaw the contest in the North, announced the regional winner as Angie Kim Tran from Lanna International School in Chiang Mai, while the Phuket Gazette, which organised the contest in the South, announced the winner as Apichaya Mugem from Mahavajiravudh Songkhla School. In the Central/Bangkok region, Justin Potisit from International School Eastern Seaboard in Chon Buri took the top honour.

The annual Junior Dublin Literary Awards for Thailand is jointly organised by The Nation, NJ magazine, and strategic partners such as Phuket Gazette and City Life Chiang Mai. The contest is sponsored by the Embassy of Ireland, OCS (Outsourced Client Solutions), Kerry Group and the Irish Thai Chamber of Commerce. 

The main objectives of the contest are to enhance creative English-language writing skills of Thai students and to encourage innovative thinking.

Judges for the latest contest were Irish Ambassador Brendan Rogers; former deputy education minister Sirikorn Maneerin; former president of Thailand Tesol Assoc Prof Suchada Nimmannit; Srinakharinwirot University lecturer Atchara Pradit; chief executive officer of Nation International Edutainment PCL Pana Janviroj; and NJ magazine editor Pimpimol Kongkreingkrai.

The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Anusorn Tipayanon, the author of “London” and “The Secret of a Kiss”, who shared his experience and offered some useful tips to all young creative writers, encouraging them to never stop writing. 

The competition was open to Thai students studying in Thailand and between the ages of 14 and 18. They were required to write an essay of between 800 and 1,200 words in length.

 

More details available at www.247friend.net/NJ/dublin