Creative writing contest held for youths

Islamabad : The Serena Hotels held the bilingual Faisalabad Creative Writing Competition here.

More than 70 pieces in both English and Urdu were submitted by the youths from across the country for the contest, whose theme was Faisalabad in 2018.

The jury consisting of journalists Tahir Khalil and Sanam Zeb selected the best essays on the basis of the quality of the writers' arguments and narration skills. It declared Nayyab Nasir of Lahore the winner for her insightful piece. Mr. Tahir said the contest was a commendable initiative and there was a need to widen its scope.

"The outreach this time was mainly on social media but engaging mass media will increase the participation and give the young talents a chance to come forward. This promotion of literary activity under cultural diplomacy is a great service to Pakistan which will positively impact society," he said.

Ms. Sanam said it was very encouraging to see so many contributions and it was especially encouraging to see the hope young people had for the city of Faisalabad and how they had been comparing it to great industrial cities around the world.

"I loved some of the creative submissions and their playfulness. It was hard deciding between some of them," she said. Congratulating the winner, she added that Nayyab Nasir did a wonderful job and it felt like she was sitting in a New York or Tokyo style skyscraper and it was mesmerising.

The organisers said the Faisalabad Serena Hotel hosted the competition as the first initiative of many to encourage the youth to envision a future that is both bright and sustainable.

They said the essays and interest in the competition was highly encouraging, reflecting the energy, creativity and talents of youths across Pakistan.