The power of writing

Outstanding children’s fiction stories were submitted during the Namibia-Wales ‘Fiction for Children’ writing competition, under the auspices of the Phoenix Project. The writing competition was launched as a collaboration between the University of Namibia (Unam) and Cardiff University in Wales in February 2020.The competition ran from February until the end of April, with 27 story submissions being received, of which 24 were from Namibia and three from Wales. The stories are targeted at children aged between seven and 15.Fierce competitionThe competition was the brainchild of professor Jairos Kangira, the dean of the humanities and social sciences faculty at Unam, who is also a children’s author; Tim Davies of Cardiff University, who is a published author of short stories and plays, and professor Judith Hall, Cardiff University’s lead for the Phoenix Project.“The Namibian stories represented an opportunity for readers to learn about aspects of Namibian and Welsh culture and relationships. The major aims of the competition are to enhance a reading culture in children, and promote cultural exchange. Reading is the bedrock of a great education,” Kangira said. “The Namibian stories displayed a freshness and vitality, and an exuberance and disregard of conventional form that is not often witnessed in stories. The competition was fierce!” Davies added. “The competition was of a very high standard, though I hope to see more Welsh entries in future competitions,” Dr John Barnie, a senior judge and respected author and poet, said.The winners are…Winners will be invited to attend a Zoom prize-giving ceremony this month and will each receive N$4 330 (£200). The prize-winning stories were: Hope and the Fairy Ring by Nabeelah Suleman from Namibia;The Power in the Making by Karen Pierce from Wales; When a Whale Needs a Hand (Or Two) by Mel Kelly from Namibia, and Little Kauka Saves the Elephants by Mundia Mercy Mubuyaeta from Namibia.DelightedHall was delighted with the competition’s success. “There were many very beautiful stories and judging was extremely difficult. In fact, the standard was so high that we offered four prizes instead of three!” “Competitions like this are something the Phoenix Project can support for shared cross-cultural learning, even when our countries are in lockdown,” Hall said.

The power of writing

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Republikein 2026-07-23

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The power of writing

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Republikein 2026-07-23

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