The Merdeka Writing Competition was founded in 2020 to encourage children and teens to write. Many of the writing competitions in Malaysia are either organised to promote a brand or company or topics that not all children understand like energy and sustainability.
While there’s nothing wrong with those competitions and, in fact, they are lauded for their accomplishments in encouraging children to think and write critically, not as many kids will participate because the topic is non-fiction and it’s tough for them to understand. Additionally, many of those contests are only open to Malaysians.
The Merdeka Writing Competition has been designed with the children in mind. So, the entries must be fiction (which they love) and on themes/topics that they understand (freedom, community, kindness, self-confidence). In addition, this competition is not limited to Malaysians. Children and teens of all nationalities can take part as long as they are in Malaysia. The competition is also open to refugees.
The person behind the Merdeka Writing Competition is former journalist Brigitte Rozario. She is currently a freelance writer, editor and trainer. She founded the Junior Writers Programme in 2018 as a way to get talented writers in Malaysia published. Each year, the programme has a new batch of students who publish an anthology.
Brigitte also uses the Merdeka Writing Competition to source for talents for JWP.
The Merdeka Writing Competition 2023 has concluded. The next one is planned for August 2024.