The contest organisaters Lê Thị Thu Hiền (left) and Osgasawara Takuji, ENEOS's Deputy General Manager. present special award to Nguyễn Hoài Phong. Photo coutersy of the organisation board.

HÀ NỘI — Young voices took centre stage as winners of the 8th Đóa Hoa Đồng Thoại (Bouquet of Children's Stories Contest) were honoured at Kim Đồng Publishing House in Hà Nội last weekend, showcasing the depth, creativity and emotional insight of Việt Nam’s emerging writers.

Three first prizes were awarded to Trương Võ Hà Anh, Nguyễn Thu Huyền Trang and Nguyễn Hoài Phong in the primary school, junior school and open categories.

Phong, 19, from the southern province of Tây Ninh also received the contest’s special award for his story Ứng Dụng Tắt Buồn (Sadness-off App).

“I want to convey that, in the modern world where technology is increasingly replacing the way humans express emotions," Phong said at the award ceremony.

"Both adults and children need to learn again how to feel sad, how to cry and how to love because if we try to switch off all emotions, there may come a day when we turn into empty containers, no longer able to be moved by life.

"Sadness, too, deserves to be cherished, for it is what helps us grow."

Phong is currently a second-year student in the Faculty of Literature at HCM City University of Education.

The 2025 contest took place from February 10 to July 31, attracting 4,161 entries from 1,604 contestants across 34 provinces and cities, as well as Vietnamese contestants living in Russia, the UK, Germany, the Republic of Korea, China, the Netherlands and Japan.

Remarkably, one contestant submitted up to 200 works, reflecting a strong passion for creative writing among the younger generation.

The 17 winning works were edited and illustrated for publication in Đóa Hoa Đồng Thoại - Vol. 9 as a way to honour the authors.

"The Sadness-Off App has an emotional depth and meaningful message about the importance of children's feelings," said children’s writer Lê Phương Liên, the contest’s head judge.

The contest was first organised in Việt Nam in 2018 by ENEOS Việt Nam and More Production Việt Nam, aiming at nurturing a new generation of young writers, creating a valuable source of new literary works and building a reputable platform where both children and adults who love literature can share their stories.

"Thank you all contestants whose stories seem to open the door to a new world with vivid characters inviting readers to embark on an adventure," said Osgasawara Takuji, ENEOS’s Deputy General Manager.

"The gentle and reflective narratives also sparked curiosity and a quiet sense of anticipation."

To ensure the contest continues to grow sustainably, expand its impact and contribute meaningfully to Vietnamese children’s literature, the organising committee respectfully called for partnerships with businesses, organisations and individuals.

Every contribution today is a meaningful step towards the future of children’s literature, offering Vietnamese children more books rooted in Vietnamese identity, providing opportunities for new writers to be discovered, nurtured and celebrated and building a generation of readers and writers who love to imagine and tell their own stories. — VNS