Three creative young Malaysian girls emerged as the top winners in the recently concluded Pipit Writing Competition.
The competition’s main prizes were BookXcess vouchers sponsored by Twentytwo13. Aiza Zahra Elmi Haryadi, Sarah Tan, and Davina Sanjna were the top three winners, all coincidentally aged 15.
Aiza Zahra wrote a story entitled ‘Micro Miracles’, which tells how a veterinarian, Aleena, and her husband, Naim, care for their cat and elderly neighbour, highlighting the interconnectedness of their community. The story underscores the daily miracles of the natural world, emphasising mutual support between humans and animals.
She won RM600 worth of BookXcess vouchers, a trophy, and a certificate.
Second prize winner Tan wrote a story entitled ‘Speaking Up’, about a mute boy, Chang, who faces bullying and befriends a telepathic stray dog named Triple. When animal control takes Triple away, Chang and his friend Joshua rally the school community to fight for the dog’s release.
Tan won RM300 worth of BookXcess vouchers, a trophy, and a certificate.
Davina clinched the third spot with her story ‘Hero’, which explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the bond between pets and humans, highlighting the emotional complexity of these relationships. She took home RM100 worth of BookXcess vouchers, a trophy, and a certificate.
All three winners also received an apple pie each, sponsored by Tata Pies.
The consolation prize went to Naufal Faiz Nurulzaharm, 18, who won RM30 worth of BookXcess vouchers and a certificate for his story ‘Dirty’. The story follows a young boy and his father, who encounter a filthy, feral dog on their way home. Initially disgusted, the boy learns from his father that all creatures deserve love and respect, regardless of appearance. This lesson leads to the boy confronting his prejudices and learning deeper lessons about acceptance.
The Pipit Writing Competition, open to teens aged 15-19, is to encourage writing among older teens and avid writers to express their creativity.
The pipit bird, found in most parts of the world except for the driest deserts, rainforests, and mainland Antarctica, symbolises joy, happiness, and good luck. Despite its plain brown plumage, the pipit represents the beauty found in the ordinary, a theme the competition aimed to highlight.
Writer-editor-trainer Brigitte Rozario, who organised the competition, said that, like the pipit bird, the ordinary can give birth to magical, awe-inspiring ideas, and as storytellers, we can take readers on rollercoaster rides of imagination that make them forget their mundane lives.
She also noted the high standard of Malaysian teenage writers, comparing them favourably with their peers in Western countries. Rozario found that the competition attracted entries from across Malaysia, including from Sabah, Sarawak, the East Coast states, Kedah, and Perlis.
“There are young writers in Malaysia who want to write, and they write very well in English,” she said. “Some writers are in college, while others were encouraged by their teachers. Parents, too, asked their children to submit entries, despite knowing there were only three top prizes.”
Rozario explained that she chose fiction for the competition to allow writers to explore their creativity.
“By writing fiction, they get to practise their creativity and imagination. Even if they don’t become writers, they will need those traits in other vocations,” she said.
