Ministry launches 2024 Indradevi literary competition

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has announced the 2024 Indradevi Literary Award competition for short stories and poems under the theme “Free to Preserve, Promote and Improve the Literature Sector and National Literature”.

Poets and the public who wish to participate in the competition can submit their work to the Department of Books and Reading of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts from January 1 to June 30.

Kok Ros, director of the Department of Books and Reading of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said that the competition is one of the main visions of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to promote and preserve national literature.

He said that this year is the 24th year that the short story and poetry competition has been organised by the Ministry and the 10th edition of the Indradevi Literary Award, which is the oldest award first established in the 1960s.

He added: “This year, three major institutions have organised writing competitions, while the number of contestants has increased significantly.

Last year, the Department of Books and Reading received 114 works, of which about 60% were a new generation of writers participating in the competition.

“For this year, the number of participants may be higher than last year,” he said.

He called on literature lovers to submit their writing.

He said that the evaluation committee selects the best works based on the conditions of virtue, truth, ethics, composition style, aesthetics and educational values.

He added that after a thorough examination and evaluation for three months, the committee will select

five short stories and five poems to receive the 2024 Indradevi Award.

According to the ministry, winners will be published in the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts’ journal and in a magazine.

Chamroeun Sopheak, one of the winners of the first prize in the poetry category “Vannak Sne Pre Por” (“Casting Love”) last year, said the Indradevi Literary Competition is a good programme to encourage new and old poets to express their abilities through their writing without discrimination.He added, “This competition has really contributed to the promotion of the nation’s literary field.”