Competition: Zhenjin Young Literary Talent Selection Contest 2023

Awardee and programme: Huang Chang, Master of Arts in Chinese Literature

Award: Championship

Submitted works:
Preliminary selection: “Long Examination” (長考)
Semi-final round: “Eyes Open” (開眼)
Final round: “Late Lake” (遲湖)

In the Zhenjin Young Literary Talent Selection Contest 2023, Huang Chang stood out from thousands of contestants, advancing two rounds to the finals and won the overall championship.

The Zhenjin Young Literary Talent Selection Contest is a collaboration of the Shanghai Writers Association, Youth Literature Magazine and Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, and run by the Shanghai Writers Association's office promoting literature on campuses and its electronic magazine, Zero. With the aim of discovering outstanding literary talent, it is open to young writers aged between 19 and 28 who have never published a book. Contestants are shortlisted through three rounds of competitions, each time given a set topic and a deadline for submitting their writing, with only three hours given in the last two rounds. Huang Chang passed the challenges of the 2023 contest and emerged as champion, winning a publishing contract with Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House.