The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition aims to challenge young people’s thinking and the means by which they can express their views, using creative forms of writing such as essays, poems, stories or scripts. Since 2010, it has received nearly 100,000 entries, from hundreds of schools across almost every Commonwealth country. Entries are judged by 150 Pan-Commonwealth volunteers. The winners are selected by an expert panel, including poets, publishers, scriptwriters, and journalists.

The Competition has been run by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883, and culminates with winners and runners-up traveling to London for a week-long series of educational and cultural events, typically including an Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The theme was launched during an assembly of local school children, who had earlier participated in a writing workshop at the library involving local authors, educators and New Zealand’s Poet Laureate, David Eggleton. During the assembly, Her Royal Highness took the opportunity to present a number of certificates to high-level winners from the 2019 Competition.

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Topics

• SENIOR CATEGORY: Born between 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2006 (14-18 years of age)
  • Imagine you are President of one of the Commonwealth’s 31 Small States and you have been invited to give a speech on Climate Change to other Commonwealth leaders, what will you say
  • There is no Planet B: How will Climate Change affect you and your community?
  • ‘We will never stop fighting for this planet’ – Greta Thunberg. How can young people make change happen?
  • The destruction of the Oceans everyone’s concern.

• JUNIOR CATEGORY: Born on or after 1 July 2006 (under 14 years of age)
  • Imagine you are Planet Earth, what would you say to Humans?
  • A Blue Commonwealth: it is not too late to save our oceans. True or False?
  • In 2019, students in more than 100 countries walked out of school to protest climate change. How can young people get their voices heard and make a difference?
  • My planet, my place.