“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you,” wrote the world-renowned poet Maya ANGELOU, précising the banal struggle of many authors at heart. Instead of biting the pen, the newcomers to literature are spared from such worry as the return of City Literary Awards offers them a chance to liberate the untold stories from within. 

Organised by CityU’s Department of Chinese and History (CAH), City Literary Awards 2024 aims at promoting literary creation among secondary and tertiary students in Hong Kong. It enhances the creative writing standard and, at the same time, allows students to observe and savour the bona fide landscape of this city with recourse to words. Regarding the programmes, CAH presents creative writing lectures, workshops, and a writing contest this year.

To sharpen students’ writing techniques in different genres, CAH has invited veteran poets, writers, and educators to deliver a series of workshops on creative writing of poetry, prose, novel, and flash fiction. The sessions will be conducted over Zoom from 22 April to 13 May 2023 on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants can derive much pleasure from absorbing literary knowledge and connecting with like-minded fellows.

While preparing for the visitation by the Muse, young writers from secondary schools and tertiary institutions can also give their best to craft their literary pieces and submit an entry to the writing competition by 5pm, 31 January 2024. It is time to write about one’s sentiments freely as water out of a sluice. 

Please visit CAH’s website of City Literary Awards 2024 for more information.