Young Sri Lankans win top essay awards
October 15, 2010 12:34 am
Two Sri Lankan students have won the first and second prize of this year’s Commonwealth Essay Competition for juniors.
Twelve year old Samm Pecht secured junior prize for her essay ‘Oh, Crumbs’.
They were awarded on Thursday in London.
Both the young winners expressed their surprise at getting to the top in the competition.
“It didnt sink into my head that I have won,” Samm told BBC Sandeshaya.
The Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest and largest youth writing competition attracting more than 50,000 entries from around the Commonwealth each year.
Commenting on the win Sharuka said, “I can’t believe I am in London right now”.
Sharuka Wikramanayake who wrote the essay, ‘Welcome to my Utopia’ became the runner–up.
The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) has been running international creative competitions for young people for more than one hundred years.
For the very first time in 2010, these competitions were brought together as one exciting awards scheme, including writing, film and photography categories, the Royal Commonwealth Society said.
All three competitions took the theme ‘Science, technology and Society’.
The Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest and largest youth writing competition attracting more than 50,000 entries from around the Commonwealth each year, it said.
In 2010, for the first time in more than 25 years, the top prize was awarded to a UK-based entrant, Lars Gladhaug, whilst 12 year old Sri Lankan, Samm Pecht, triumphed in the Junior category, The Royal Commonwealth Society said. – (BBC)
Photo caption: Samm Pecht (left) wins junior prize of Commonwealth Essay Competition and (right) 14 year old Sharuka Wikramanayake runner up.
