Celebrating the 2026 XJTLU Creative Writing Competition Winners

This year’s competition marked an exciting moment for creative writing at XJTLU. During Semester Two, creative writing evening classes were held by Kyle Sparks and David Brennan, language lecturers from English Language Centre at Global Cultures and Languages Hub, with five sessions focusing on creative fiction and three on poetry.

  The programme saw a significant increase in both student attendance and competition submissions. It also brought together a diverse group of students from China, Thailand, Cambodia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Spain, Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia and beyond.

First Place: 

Pedro Bravo Bonfim

Second Place: 

Angeline Levina Raharjo

Notable Mentions / Joint Third Place: 

Kamilla Kilambayeva, Rithia Rin and Yu Fan

Selected winning works, together with stories and poems from previous winners, will be published in XJTLU’s first Creative Writing Magazine, planned for publication in September.

The magazine is connected with the Translation and Literature Department and is edited and organised by Dr Jon Ford and David Brennan.

Reflecting on his experience, Pedro Bravo Bonfim, First Place winner, shared:

“I got to know of the creative writing classes and the writing competition when I ran across a poster, and it was actually very fitting. I had been thinking about how, despite literature classes being fulfilling, exciting and sometimes challenging, we’ve had few opportunities to do something creative. The creative writing classes served as fuel for a renewed interest to produce something that could one day be studied by others as we do in literature classes.”

He also added that he enjoyed meeting students and professors who shared an interest in writing, as well as exchanging creative ideas through both prose and poetry.

Angeline Levina Raharjo, Second Place winner, reflected on how fiction first inspired her interest in writing:

“Fiction writing has always fascinated me by the way it transforms words into an extraordinary world of imagination, allowing readers to experience emotions and thrill with every turn of the page.”

"My story, Seven Minutes to Delete Yourself, was inspired by a blank sheet of paper and a dream in which my grandmother lost her memories. While new beginnings are often associated with recovering from failure or hardships, I wanted to explore a different perspective. Beginning anew also means surrendering the memories you once cherished and those you previously loved before. Hence, the whole plot of my story revolves around this concept."

She shared that her first encounter with the Indonesian novel Dear J changed the way she understood poetic language. What once seemed overly complicated to her later became a powerful way to add depth, rhythm and emotion to storytelling.

Yu Fan, one of the Notable Mention winners, described the creative writing class as a rare opportunity to create original work from the heart:

“The creative writing class was also a very rare opportunity that gave me the chance to create original work from the heart. I especially enjoyed the part where I could read other people’s stories, and I loved all of them.”

She also shared that the competition gave her the motivation to complete a story she had been thinking about writing for some time.

Kamilla Kilambayeva, also among the Notable Mention winners, described the workshops as a highlight of her week:

“Creative writing workshops were not only a highlight of my week, but also an opportunity to reconnect with a hobby I once loved so fiercely.”

She noted that the 15-minute writing exercises helped her stop overthinking and trust her instincts, while the feedback from fellow writers boosted her confidence.

David Brennan, Fiction Workshop Leader, said that this year saw the largest number of students attending and the highest number of submissions to date. He also noted that the quality of the submissions reached new heights, with a diverse group of students taking part in the workshops.

Kyle Sparks, Poetry Workshop Leader, added: “This class provided not only a wonderful opportunity for the writers at XJTLU to practice and refine their craft, but also a singular occasion for me to delight in their creativity, enthusiasm and love of language.”

Classes for the 2027 Creative Writing Competition will begin in Semester Two next year.

We look forward to welcoming more students to join the workshops, develop their writing, and share their creative voices.

Once again, congratulations to all the winners, participants, teachers and organisers who made this year’s competition such an enjoyable and fruitful experience.