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Malaysian Universities Poetry Writing Competition Prize Giving

poetry group

The prize giving ceremony for the Malaysian Universities Poetry Writing Competition (MUPWC) 2017, sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education and organised by the School of English, University of Nottingham Malaysia at Semenyih was held at the University of Nottingham Malaysia on Friday, 15 December.

The Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia Deputy Director-General of Higher Education Dr Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, represented the Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk  Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching at the event.

It was attended by the prize winners, family members and lovers of poetry from the different universities.

In his welcome speech, University of Nottingham Malaysia Provost and CEO Professor Graham Kendall said, “University of Nottingham places very high value in the arts. The city of Nottingham in the UK is a UNESCO City of Literature. It celebrates the power of words and so it is very fitting that in Malaysia, the University of Nottingham Malaysia is organising this poetry writing competition.”

Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching said, “I am very pleased that this competition was very well received by the Malaysian university undergraduates. More than one thousand four hundred poems were submitted for this competition by local and international undergraduate students.”

She added, “To all the students who took part in the competition, I congratulate you and say: well done!  And to the winners of the competition, I hope this recognition will encourage you to continue to write poems in English. You have a bright future ahead and I hope you will have further successes in your poetry writing.”

The winners of the competition were announced at the ceremony and the all the short-listed writers read their poems.

The following are the winners of the competition:

First Prize: Khadijah Osman, “Jerry Can Stories”Inti International University 

Second Prize: Abigail Lim Kah Yan, “Harvey”, University of Nottingham Malaysia 

Third Prize: Ding Xue Er, “Howl”, University of Nottingham Malaysia  

Highly Commended Award (alphabetical order):

  • Akira Leong Wan Ming, 'Big Girl Maths, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
  • Joseph Lu, 'Dragon Fruit', University of Nottingham Malaysia  
  • Khadijah Osman, 'Skeleton Feed (Somalia)', Inti International University 
  • Khadijah Osman, 'Grass Smoke', Inti International University 
  • Nur Fatihah binti Mohd Arnawi, 'Black Dog, Stars and Me', Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus 
  • Peh Xin Ying, 'This is How I will Remember You', IACT College (in affiliation with the University of Sunderland)
  • Prabath Shavinda Dissanayake, 'The Bonsai Tree in the Schoolyard', University of Malaya 

Long-listed Award (alphabetical order):

  • Eishatur Radiah binti Mamat, 'Skeletons in My Closet', Monash University Malaysia  
  • Gwendoline Esther Hay Ai Yin, 'Watching Grass Grow', UCSI University
  • Lee Yew Chern, 'The Wolf and Her Reflection', HELP University 
  • Noman Abdullah, 'Theory of Relativity', Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur

In his closing remarks at the prize-giving ceremony, the Chairman of the MUPWC Organising Committee Professor Dr Malachi Edwin Vethamani said, “We are indeed very pleased with the response for this competition and I hope it will become an annual event for the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.”

(Article image caption: Winners of poetry competition. Also seen is Dr Mohd Nor Azman Hassan (fourth from left); Professor Graham Kendall (six from right); Professor Lee Chew Ging, Dean of Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (second from right); Professor Danton Remoto (extreme left) and Professor Edwin Malachi (extreme right).

(Thumbnail image caption: Professor Graham Kendall delivering his speech at the prize giving session)

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Notes to Editors: The University of Nottingham is a research-intensive university with a proud heritage, consistently ranked among the top one per cent in the world. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our 44,000 students - Nottingham was named University of the Year for Graduate Employment in the 2017 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, was awarded gold in the TEF 2017 and features in the top 20 of all three major UK rankings. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement. We are ranked eighth for research power in the UK according to REF 2014. We have six beacons of research excellence helping to transform lives and change the world; we are also a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest-ever fundraising campaign, is delivering the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.

More information is available from Professor Malachi Edwin Vethamani on malachi.vethamani@nottingham.edu.my or Josephine Dionisappu, PR & Communications Manager on josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my, +6 (03) 8924 8746.

Posted on 18th December 2017

University of Nottingham Malaysia

Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia

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