Winners of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition met The Queen at St James’s Palace – following a tour of The Standard’s office.
Queen Camilla met the winners and runners-up of the world’s oldest international writing competition, which first launched in 1883.
The winning essays were read by Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Monica Galletti, Joan Armatrading, and Royal Commonwealth Society Ambassador, Geri Halliwell.
Addressing the guests, The Queen said: “As our Commonwealth continues on its remarkable journey, I am certain that each one of our brilliant finalists has an exciting future ahead of you, using your literary skills to express your concerns and ambitions, to make the unknown accessible and to fill us with hope for days to come.”
Participants were asked to write an essay on “Our Commonwealth Journey”, with entries judged by a panel comprising Sir Ben Okri OBE, Imtiaz Dharker, and Victoria Hislop among others.
The four winners were chosen from more than 53,000 entries across the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth, marking a 53% increase in entries from 2024.
Kaira Puri, 17, and Vivaan Agarwal, 14, both from India, won the Senior Winner and Junior Winner titles respectively. Pandora Onyedire, 17, from Nigeria and Lakshmi Manogyna Achanta , 14, from Singapore were awarded the runner-up prizes.
Ahead of the ceremony, the winners and their guardians were given a tour of The Standard’s newsroom in London, led by editor emeritus Doug Wills, and contributed to a journalism discussion featuring journalists and editors from The Independent and The Standard.
Ms Puri spoke about her winning essay, titled “When the Gates Open: From Mud to Stone”, on education inequality across genders and class in India. The young writer has a keen interest in economics and maths, but verse and prose have given her the space to address many of the questions raised in the financial world, she said.
She told The Standard about her short film Banking on Her, a documentary on disparities in financial literacy in India.
Mr Agarwal spoke on his entry about life after the partition of India and Pakistan, looking at how gaming and poetry can play their roles to build bridges between the historically fraught countries.
He also produces his own podcast to advocate for a better tomorrow and shape a more inclusive world.
His mother said: “I am so proud of all the winners. This opportunity is more than just four prizes – it is going to have a ripple effect across schools in the Commonwealth to help inspire the next generation of writers.”
Ms Onyedire, an aspiring solicitor, is another powerful storyteller and was commended for her work “When Seeds Crack”, a descriptive essay on Nigeria and the country’s growth after its independence. The essay weaves history, culture, and art in a powerful retelling of the nation’s identity.
Ms Achanta’s poem titled “India to Mauritius” relives the experience of first-generation immigrants, celebrating heritage, culture, and a longing for identity. A budding politician, Achanta said her interest in writing extends to policy and international relations.
Winning entries can be read here.
