Young China Watchers (YCW) and the Lau China Institute at King’s College London are excited to announce the second annual Lau-YCW Essay Competition. The competition aims to discover and showcase the newest young writing on China in the UK, in order to help foster the next generation of China expertise and interest. We invite members of academia, the media, government, the private sector or any interested applicants to submit an entry. This year’s theme is:
“Cyber China”
We are looking for a piece between 2,000–3,000 words on this topic from any angle. It could touch on anything cyber, online or tech related with China. The entry can take any form including non-fiction, fiction, narrative journalism and academic essays. Submissions for the first annual Essay Competition included science fiction stories, first person tales from China, academic papers, journalistic pieces, economic analysis and more. We are looking forward to reading a similar range of material.
The winner will receive £500 and consideration for publication in a prestigious China-relevant publication, as well as an invitation to speak at a YCW London event. The two runners-up will receive £250 each, and their entries will be featured on the YCW blog.
Eligibility
If you are 35 years or younger on 31 December, 2017, and have a demonstrable link to the United Kingdom (through birth, institutional affiliation or physical location), we welcome your submission. Submissions must be between 2,000-3,000 words in length, and delivered to lauessay@youngchinawatchers.com by midnight 1 January 2018. The author must include their birthday and a demonstrable link to the UK with their entry. Submissions that do not fulfil these criteria will not be considered. Within these broad parameters, we welcome any authors with a strong emphasis on good writing and original insight.
The adjudication committee will be composed of professors from the Lau China Institute, as well as the leadership committee of Young China Watchers London.
For more information about Young China Watchers (including membership or participation in our global organization), please click here.
For more information about the Lau China Institute, the generous sponsor of this initiative, please click here.
To read entries from last year’s competition, follow these links to last year’s winning essay and the first runner-up.
