Success Comes to Young Writers Who Persevered
-- Photography Inspiration at Words+Art 2006 Creative Writing Competition

26 September 2006 – The fifth Words+Art Creative Writing Competition received a record high of more than 2,600 entries from Primary and Secondary schools. Organised by Marshall Cavendish, students were invited to use six photographs for inspiration for their story entries. The stories of the top three winners from each category are now published in the fifth Words+Art Book and this year, the organiser is introducing an e-book format that provides an exciting reading experience.

The Competition has seen a trend this year of past winners making a comeback as 2006 winners. " I just want[ed] to keep on trying to achieve my dream, " said Zacharia Low, the first prize winner of Category A, who was last year’s merit winner in the same category.

" We are very happy to see the students not only learn about their environment -- like history, heritage but use Words + Art as a platform for continually improving their writing and critical thinking skills. Combined with the record high number of entries, this strong support is a treasured accolade for Words+Art Programme, " said Ling Guan Heng, General Manager of Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

" As one of Singapore’s most well-known and trusted brands, Magnolia Milk is committed to the development of artistic talent and creativity among our generation ," said Mr. Lye Jit Hui, General Manager of F&N Foods Pte Ltd. "Magnolia Milk has for the past four years been a staunch supporter of the WORDS + Art initiative and we have been constantly impressed at the talent displayed by its participants."

Theme: Capturing The Way We Are

Year on year, Marshall Cavendish introduces an art theme in the Creative Writing Competition and this year, photography was selected in collaboration with the National Museum of Singapore. " The photographs selected from the National Museum's collection were specially chosen to provide insights to the evolution of photography in Singapore as an important form of archival documentation and artistic expression. The Museum also wanted to offer photographs that would stimulate emotions and ideas that could be expressed in writing by the participants. The project demonstrates that a picture can tell a thousand words. We hope that the participants had also learnt to appreciate Singapore's history and culture through this very accessible medium of expression," said Tan Boon Hui, Assistant Director, Public and International Programming.

Besides carrying the theme and impressing the judges with their creative writing skills, the top winning stories communicated important values and life lessons. For example, Zacharia Low wrote of a grandmother’s treasured friendship in his story Necklace Of Friendship. Sheralyn Loh wrote "... We smiled because we survived...I learnt that in the face of disaster, people can choose to smile ..." in her story, The Smiles in the Photograph :

Fifth Words + Art Book and the First eBook

Launched by guest of honour Mr Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos Mohamad, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education, the Words+Art 2006 Book contains the winning stories and helpful information on photography. It is also available in an electronic form this year, where readers are able to learn even more about photography with its interactive resources and animation. The e-Book also features voice-overs for the winning entries, making it a truly multi-media experience. The Words + Art book retails at S$4.20 (with GST) at major bookstores and includes a password to access the electronic version. The Words + Art ebook is priced at S$3.15 (with GST) and this can be purchased through the website www.marshallcavendish.com/genref



About Marshall Cavendish
Marshall Cavendish is an international publisher of Education, General Interest, Business and Home & Library Reference contents and its publishing network spans Asia, Europe and the USA, with products that reach across the globe in 13 languages.
Our educational publishing is the leading publisher of curriculum materials in Singapore. A major player in the textbooks and supplementary markets, Marshall Cavendish has published a wide range of education-related materials covering core curriculum through our well-known Marshall Cavendish Education imprint. Marshall Cavendish also co-publishes curriculum packages with the Singapore Ministry of Education. Well-received by the international market, our products cater to various ability groups in the 3-18 age group.

About National Museum of Singapore
At 119 years old, the National Museum of Singapore is Singapore’s oldest museum with the youngest and most innovative soul. Designed to be the people’s museum, the National Museum of Singapore prides itself on introducing cutting edge and varied ways of presenting history to redefine conventional museum experience.

More than just a space for exhibitions and artefacts, the National Museum will also distinguish itself through its challenging and vibrant festivals and events that will unleash new creative possibilities in culture and heritage. This programming will be supported by a wide range of facilities and services including F&B, retail, Resource Centre, Gallery Theatre, Public Sculpture Garden among others. With a rich history dating back to 1887, the National Museum of Singapore has been closed since April 2003 for redevelopment and will open in December 2006. For more information, please visit www.nationalmuseum.sg.

About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty.  We serve more than 100 million people in 96 countries, regardless of a person's religion, ethnic background or gender. 

About Magnolia Milk

Magnolia Milk is the No. 1 fresh milk brand in Singapore. Established over 65 years ago, generations of Singaporeans have grown up with the pure, natural goodness of Magnolia Milk. Magnolia’s reputation for delivering "ONLY THE BEST FOR YOUR FAMILY" has firmly positioned it as one of Singapore’s most trusted, loved, and best known brands, a reputation which has led it to being awarded the Gold Award for Singapore’s Trusted Brands by Readers’ Digest. As the number one milk brand in the market, Magnolia is constantly innovating in order to provide original and nutritious drinks to meet the needs of its customers. The Magnolia Milk brand portfolio comprises Magnolia Fresh Milk, Magnolia Low Fat Hi Cal Fresh Milk, Magnolia Smoo Milk, Magnolia High Calcium UHT Milk, Magnolia SuperSlim UHT Milk and the new Magnolia Low Fat Hi Cal Oat Milk.

About Learning Edvantage (LEAD)
LEAD’s mission is to provide the best of e-learning solutions to initiate a dynamic environment for innovative teaching and experiential learning. Primary and secondary school teachers and students can benefit from the curriculum-based and enrichment contents, assessment resources, project work initiatives and tools for communication.

LEAD aspires to be the trusted e-learning partner of the school and the home. LEAD has built on the solid foundation laid by its founding companies, grow and evolve to be a leader in the educational technology. LEAD is committed to nurturing the passion for learning.


List of Winners And Judges