The Year of Hans Christian Andersen
The year of hans christian andersen: creative writing, art illustration, & video story-telling competitions
To commemorate150th anniversary of the passing of Hans Christian Andersen (2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875), renowned for his fairy tales such as The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Little Match Girl, the Department of English of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong is launching a series of creative competitions across the territory, as follows:
Craft a short story inspired by Andersen’s works (available on: http://hca.gilead.org.il/) that explores the darker aspects of his fairy tales. Reimagine his narratives by delving into the madness and sins of the characters, reinterpreting the melancholy and supernatural elements, and/or giving voice to the silences within the tales. Unleash your creativity and let the shadows guide your storytelling!
- This short-story writing competition is open to secondary school students only.
- Short story length: 900-1100 words
- Format: Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced, standard margin (1 inch)
- Judging Criteria: Content, style/voice, word choice/sentence fluency, and conventions.
- Submit your work to eng@hsu.edu.hk with the Subject “Short Story Writing Competition” and name your file “Full Name_Story title.docx” (e.g., Chan Tai Man Peter_The Diamond Pig.docx). Please provide Andersen’s original story’s title and paste the link of the e-text from http://hca.gilead.org.il/ (e.g., Adapted from Andersen’s The Metal Pig, retrieved from http://hca.gilead.org.il/metal_pi.html).
- Include your name, school name, level of study, telephone number, and email address in the email.
- Deadline for submission: 2nd March 2025.
- Any detection of AI-generated content will result in the cancellation of competition eligibility.
Each winner of the Short-story Writing Competition will receive a scholarship in the following amount:
Champion | HK$500 |
First runner-up | HK$300 |
Second runner-up | HK$200 |
Honourable Mentions | HK$100 each |
Choose one character from the list of stories written by Andersen (available on: http://hca.gilead.org.il/) and write a poem from his/her perspective. The poem should ideally have the following:
- A clear picture (called a “dramatic situation”) that establishes where your chosen character is at the moment
- His/her inner thoughts about himself/herself and his/her relationship with other characters and the events in the story
- An insight into human life or a lesson learned as represented by your chosen character’s experience
- This poetry writing competition is open to secondary school students only.
- Line count: At least ten (10) lines
- Poem Structure: No stanza number requirements. You can use conventional forms (e.g., the sonnet or the villanelle) or free form. The poem can have a rhyme scheme, or it can be free verse (no rhymes). Having experimental forms (e.g., making the poem “heart-shaped”) is discouraged.
- Format: Times New Roman, size 12, single-spaced, standard margin.
- Judging Criteria: Content, Diction, Form & Structure, and Conventions
- Submit your work to eng@hsu.edu.hk with the Subject “Poetry Writing Competition” and name your file “Full
Name_Poem title.docx” (e.g., Chan Tai Man Peter_The Diamond Pig.docx). Provide Andersen’s original story’s title and paste the link of the e-text from http://hca.gilead.org.il/
(e.g., Adapted from Andersen’s The Metal Pig, retrieved from http://hca.gilead.org.il/metal_pi.html). - Include your name, school name, level of study, telephone number, and email address in the email.
- Deadline for submission: 2nd March 2025.
- Any detection of AI-generated content will result in the cancellation of competition eligibility.
Each winner of the Poetry Writing Competition will receive a scholarship in the following amount:
Champion | HK$500 |
First runner-up | HK$300 |
Second runner-up | HK$200 |
Honourable Mentions | HK$ 100 each |
Create an illustration inspired by a selected scene or theme from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales (available on: http://hca.gilead.org.il/) and include a 100-word English description explaining the inspiration behind your artwork.
- This art illustration competition is open to students of all ages.
- The artwork should be created on drawing paper, sized to 11.7 inches x16.5 inches.
- The work could be done in dry colors (crayon, pencil, colour pencil, dry pastel), watercolors, poster, acrylic colors, and/or oil-based colors. Mixed medium, including collage, is acceptable.
- Please mail your artwork to CR418, 4/F, Department of English, Creative Humanities Hub, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. Make sure to include your name, level of study, school name, telephone number, and email address on the envelope.
- Email the 100-word English description in a Word file to eng@hsu.edu.hk. Name the file “Full Name_Artwork Title.docx”
(e.g., Chan Tai Man Peter_The Diamond Pig.docx). In the word document, provide Andersen’s original story’s title and paste the link of the e-text from http://hca.gilead.org.il/
(e.g., Adapted from Andersen’s The Metal Pig, retrieved from http://hca.gilead.org.il/metal_pi.html).
- In the email, include your name, school name, level of study, telephone number, and email address in the email, with a photo of the artwork attached.
- Judging Criteria: Drawing Technique, Composition & Design, Creativity & Originality, Visual Impact, Depiction of Theme, Meaning & Content, Attention to Detail, Expressiveness, and Use of Color.
- Deadline for submission: 2nd March 2025.
Each winner of the H.C. Andersen Art Illustration Competition will receive a scholarship in the following amount:
Champion (Secondary Level) Champion (Primary Level) Champion (Kindergarten Level) | HK$800 HK$500 HK$300 |
First runner-up (Secondary Level) First runner-up (Primary Level) First runner-up (Kindergarten Level) | HK$500 HK$300 HK$200 |
Second runner-up (Secondary Level) Second runner-up (Primary Level) Second runner-up (Kindergarten Level) | HK$300 HK$200 HK$100 |
Honourable Mentions (Secondary Level) Honourable Mentions (Primary Level) Honourable Mentions (Kindergarten Level) | HK$ 200 each HK$100 each HK$50 each |
Funded by the Strategic Development Grant of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, this competition aims to recruit contestants to produce a short English video aimed at raising awareness about one of the following UN Sustainable Development Goals in an educating and entertaining way. Please pick up one UN SDG (https://sdgs.un.org/goals) and produce a 5-minute English video that tells a story of a UN SDG based on the adaptation of Andersen’s fairy tale(s) (available on: http://hca.gilead.org.il/).
- This video story-telling competition is open to secondary school students only.
- Maximum number of contestants per video: 5
- Video length: around 5 minutes
- Judging criteria: 1. the educational value and effectiveness of the content, 2. English proficiency (both spoken and written), 3. creativity, and 4. video presentation techniques (e.g., filming, editing, and visual effects).
- Name the video “Full Name_Videodocx” (e.g., Chan Tai Man Peter_The Diamond Pig.mp3). Upload your video HERE by 2nd March 2025. Send an email to elc@hsu.edu.hk to confirm your submission. Please also include your full name, school’s name, level of study, phone number, and email address.
- In the email, please provide the UN SDG(s) you are working on, & the title(s) of Andersen’s original tale(s) and paste the link of the e-text(s) from http://hca.gilead.org.il/ (e.g., Adapted from Andersen’s The Metal Pig, retrieved from http://hca.gilead.org.il/metal_pi.html). Please also indicate if you want to receive a certificate of participation.
Each winner of the Video Story-telling Competition will receive a scholarship in the following amount:
|
Champion |
HK$3,000 per team |
|
First runner-up |
HK$2,000 per team |
|
Second runner-up |
HK$1,000 per team |
|
Honourable Mentions |
HK$500 per team |
|
Audience Favourite Award |
HK$500 per team |
Notes
- Selected finalists will be contacted by phone in mid-March and invited to participate in a Q & A session, followed by an Award Presentation Ceremony, at the School of Humanities & Social Science (SHSS) Creative Humanities Fest, scheduled for the morning of 22nd March 2025.
- The creative works will be published in our HSUHK ENG Journal, set to be released in late May, and will also be displayed at the SHSS International Conference on Hans Christian Andersen to be held in late May.
- By submitting creative work to any of these competitions, you agree to transfer ownership of the work to the organizers. The organizers may use the artwork for promotional purposes, including, but not limited to, displaying it as a backdrop for our event, incorporating it into printed materials such as leaflets and posters, and sharing it on our website, social media pages, and other digital platforms.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact us at eng@hsu.edu.hk.
We look forward to your enthusiastic participation!
