Is writing short stories thankless? The children's literature short story competition that has been held for 13 years welcomes the latest creative blood

"When writing this work, I recalled many past events in elementary school, including happy and fun things, as well as troublesome and sad things. I reminded myself to look at what happened from the perspective of a primary school student and think I wonder what I would have thought and done at that age and in that situation. Although many years have passed since my primary school life, I think the essence of childhood is the same, and I and today’s young readers can definitely understand each other. -This is also a concept I want to convey in the novel, that is, people can understand each other," said Zhu Yunhao, a young writer born in the 1990s.

As the only special event in the country dedicated to the creation of children's literature short stories, the 13th "Zhouzhuang Cup" National Children's Literature Short Story Competition held an award ceremony on the 18th in Zhouzhuang, "China's No. 1 Water Town". Zhu Yunhao's campus-themed novel "Zhang "Whales Are Going to Do Big Things" won this year's special prize.

"When I write novels, I strive to pursue a sense of 'ordinaryness', or 'everyday sense.' I hope that my novels can reflect the most common and real life." Zhu Yunhao observed that in the current era of children's In literary creation, writing short stories seems to be considered a thankless task. Campus-themed novels that are light-hearted and humorous and describe ordinary daily life have received even less attention. "I think that lighthearted humor does not mean shallow, and daily life on campus does not mean simple. Campus novels that are lighthearted and humorous can also be written in a profound and charming way."

The "Zhouzhuang Cup" National Children's Literature Short Story Competition started in 2011, aiming to flourish and promote the creation of children's literature short stories, provide spiritual nourishment for children, cultivate new talents for the team of children's literature writers, and deliver the freshest blood. So far, it has been There were 327 award-winning works, 10 of which won the Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award.

The 13th "Zhouzhuang Cup" National Children's Literature Short Story Competition announced the awards in Zhouzhuang

The 13th "Zhouzhuang Cup" competition has received more than 3,000 entries since its inception. 60 entries were screened out through preliminary evaluation. After two rounds of strict and prudent anonymous professional review, including re-evaluation and final evaluation, 25 excellent entries finally stood out. In addition to "Zhang Whale Wants to Do Big Things", Gu Zhengyu's "Girl Looking for a Voice" and Hong Yongzheng's "Going Home" won the first prize, Huang Yuanxuan's "Drums Come to Dreams", Chang Xingang's "A Brief History of Youth", Tana's "Orange" "The Tide on the Colorful Roof" and Wang Fang's "The Blacksmith Shop Deep in the Alley" won the second prize. Wu Yue's "Grandpa and Okra", Zhang Juan's "Robbing Youth", Yan Yan's "Starlight Lake", Zhao Yongbing's "Mother's Garden" ", Jin Buyao's "Tung Blossom Gear", Li Wenfen's "Crossing the Border", Lin Yizhou's "Grandma's Lake", Wang Yanni's "Girl in the Alley" won the third prize, Yu Lei's "Dragon Boat Flying", Jia Ying's "Attic" "The Painter", Pang Jielei's "A Date with a Tree", Zhu Qiao's "Ci'an Bridge", Bu Xiezhou's "A Pu's Fourteen-Year-Old Long Road", Jin Xiaowen's "At that time, my friends and I" ", Xylose's "Stealing Stop", Zhang Xiaotian's "The Last Ring", Zheng Zilong's "How Many Ants Are There in the World", and Wu Zhouxing's "Beam" won the Excellence Award.

Children's literature writer Qin Wenjun introduces the winning works of the special prize

The "Zhouzhuang Cup" competition adheres to the principle of "close to the soul, pursuing purity, rejecting mediocrity, and creating high-quality products". It requires the entries to have true artistic quality, the determination and courage to reject vulgarity, and to be able to demonstrate creative personality and style while also It is closer to the spiritual world of children and is more in line with the aesthetic needs of children. The winning entries in this competition focus on the exploration of themes, including the inheritance and emphasis on excellent traditional culture, as well as the attention and delicate depiction of the life and growth of children.

The special prize "Zhang Whale Wants to Do Big Things" explores the major events of growth and the essence of childhood in ordinary and subtle daily campus things, and its thoughts on the meaning and pursuit of life flow between the lines. The first prize "Girl Looking for a Voice" uses the special symbol of "voice" as the emotional connection between the child and the mother, showing the child's boundless longing for the mother and the great power of maternal love. It is an innovation on the traditional theme of "love" Express. The second prize "A Brief History of Youth" is a new work by children's literature writer Chang Xingang, which condenses the fourteen years of a child's birth into one work.

It is worth mentioning that this competition not only attracted mature writers who have been working in the field of children's literature for many years, but also many new faces appeared on the award list, such as Gu Zhengyu, Huang Yuanxuan, Tana, Zhao Yongbing, Bu Xiezhou, Jin Xiaowen, Zheng Zilong wait. These writers from all over the world and all walks of life competed on the same stage, showing the richness, diversity and new style of children's literature creation. During the awards ceremony, award-winning writers Zhu Yunhao, Gu Zhengyu, Hong Yongzheng, and Zhao Yongbing went to Zhouzhuang Primary School and met face to face with the children for literary writing and reading discussions.

The "Zhouzhuang Cup" National Children's Literature Short Story Competition is jointly sponsored by the Children's Literature Working Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Writers Association, the Children's Literature Professional Committee of the Shanghai Writers Association, the Children's Publishing House, and the Literary Newspaper, "Juvenile Literature and Art" magazine, and Kunshan Children's Literature Creation Organized by the Research Association and Zhouzhuang Town Federation of Literary and Art Circles. "Youth Literature and Art" magazine will publish all award-winning works one after another. These works will be published every year in the "Youth Literature and Art Collection Bookstore" series by Children's Publishing House.