Young Voices Shine at Short Story Awards Hosted by LitArt Foundation

 
Guwahati, November 23: The felicitation and prize distribution ceremony celebrating the winners of “Voices of the Young” – a short story writing competition in English and Assamese for youth aged 11 to 18 – concluded on Friday at Jyoti Chitrabon, Guwahati. The event, organised by the LitArt Foundation, marked the culmination of a literary initiative by Care Luit held in memory of Late Nibedita Hazarika Madhab, Trustee of Care Luit.

This year’s competition received over 60 submissions from young writers across Assam and beyond. The stories were evaluated by a distinguished jury comprising senior columnist Rashmi Baruah, filmmaker Pervez Ahmed, and Gayatri Sharma, President of the Guwahati Theatre Society. Their careful assessment identified some of the finest emerging voices in fiction.

A total of seven schoolchildren were honoured at the ceremony, each receiving a citation, prize money and a gift hamper for their exceptional storytelling skills. Winners of the main categories were awarded Rs. 15,000 each, while Jury Special Mention awardees received Rs. 10,000 each, along with citations and gift hampers.

In the Junior Group (Age 11–14), two young writers stood out:

1. The Librarian’s Silence – Anamitra Alamyan, Delhi Public School, Guwahati
2. The Last Fest – Kabyam Talukdar, Delhi Public School, Guwahati

In the Senior Group (Age 15–18), the top awards went to:

1. The Last Lamp of Majuli – Shivraj Nath, Army Public School, Narangi
2. A Familiar Storm, A Different Shore – Aditi Mahanta, Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Guwahati

The Jury Special Mention awards recognised three remarkable entries:

Everything Speaks To Me – Boidorvy Bhattacharyya, Delhi Public School, Guwahati (Senior)

The Mystery of The Hidden Realm – Medhya Baruah, Delhi Public School, Duliajan (Junior)

Junakor Rodali (Assamese) – Fikriya Hikmat Ahmed, Hindustani Kendriya Vidyalaya, Guwahati


The event not only celebrated the creativity of young writers but also encouraged a culture of literary expression among the youth—an endeavour deeply aligned with the legacy of Late Nibedita Hazarika Madhab.