Creative Writing Competition: A Confidence Booster for Emerging Student Authors
Aspiring student authors from the University of Zululand’s (UNIZULU) four faculties recently went head-to-head for the “top creative writer” title in this year’s 6th annual Creative Writing Competition, organised by the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) through its Writing Centre.
Held in KwaDlangezwa Campus at the DH4B Writing Centre, this intense competition attracted over 40 participants who competed in the following topics:
- Student allowances/payday pandemics
- Gender-based violence
- Africanising Education
- GNU: Did my vote count?
- Mental health: a student perspective
- The prevalence of substance abuse at university and other socio-economic related subjects
In her address, Writing Centre Coordinator Asanda Cebani indicated that apart from the event being held in celebration of International Literacy Day, which is celebrated annually on 8 September 2024, the competition was aimed at encouraging students to develop passion for literature, motivate them to become writers and empower those who have already started as writers to become even better creative writers.
“We are happy with the attendance and talent. We created different subjects for them to use because we did not want to limit the contestants’ creativity. We want to promote creativity. This whole coordination intends to encourage students to write about anything. We did not want to stick to one theme; we wanted participants to write about current trending topics and socioeconomic matters – issues that have an impact in societies that they live in,” said Cebani who was among the coordinators of the competition.
The event was graced by the presence of Masoja Josia Msiza, a poet and prominent talent famously known for his role as Nkunzi in one of the country’s popular local telenovelas Uzalo.
While engaging with the students, Msiza spoke about the importance of unity even in competition.
“One advice you can take from me is unity. You need to be united, help one another [to be] better even in competition,” Msiza urged.
He added, “Competition does not mean that you are competing against one another, but it means we are compatible with one another. ‘Com’ in the word ‘competition’ comes from a Latin word competere, which in translation means unity. Com means we; it means us! That is why you have words like comrade, community, etc because [they symbolise] unity. Even in [a creative writing] competition, you are not here to fight, but you are participating to help one another become better.”
Msiza’s powerful speech was followed by jaw-dropping performances in the form of poems, short stories, musical items and other literary work.
Six students were victorious at the end of the programme.
Siphelele “Uzuka” Dlamini, the poet who emerged as the biggest winner out of the six students expressed that achieving the first prize was a major confidence booster that would propel him in his creative writing pursuits.
“I am out of words to describe my emotions right now. We would like to thank the Writing Centre and the University for providing us an opportunity to showcase our talents. We are pleading for more of such events,” Dlamini expressed.
The Writing Centre acknowledged the office of the deputy vice-chancellor: teaching and learning, the director of TLC, writing centre facilitators, assistants and participants of competition for the success of this year’s event.
– Samkele Sokhela
Picture: Samkele Sokhela
Caption
Winners of the 6th Creative Writing Competition.