The 2023 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) launched virtually on March 16th during Commonwealth Week. Please visit the RCS website for guidance about the competition and its rules here.
Further information about the competition can be viewed on the 2023 flyer here.
Theme for 2023: ‘A Youth-Powered Commonwealth’.
To mark the 50th Anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, Commonwealth Heads of Government have declared 2023 a year dedicated to youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development and called for a renewal and strengthening of commitment to youth engagement and empowerment throughout the Commonwealth.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023 asks entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and to consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.
The competition has two Award Categories – for Juniors (under 14 years of age) and Seniors (14 to 18 years of age). The essay title choices for each category can be found on the RCS website.
The 2023 Competition is open for submissions until 30th June 2023.
The Competition is open to nationals or residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories, as well as residents of Hong Kong, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. Residents of non-Commonwealth countries where there is an operating RCS branch or affiliated/partner organisation are also eligible; however, entries must be submitted via the local RCS branch or affiliated/partner organisation.
All entrants and all participating schools receive a Certificate of Participation and a number of entrants receive Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards for excellence in writing. One Winner and Runner-up from each of the Senior and Junior categories win a trip to London for a week of educational and cultural events. The week culminates in a special Awards Ceremony held at one of the Royal Palaces that is hosted by Her Majesty The Queen Consort, who is a passionate supporter of literacy and creative writing across the Commonwealth.
About the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition
Each year, entrants write on a theme that explores the Commonwealth’s values and principles, developing key literacy and creative writing skills whilst also elevating youth voices fostering and encouraging young people to consider new perspectives to the challenges that the world faces. Themes have included the environment, community inclusion, the role of youth leadership, and gender equality.
In 2022 the Society received a record-breaking 26,322 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and India.
The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) has delivered The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition since 1883, making it the world’s oldest international schools’ writing competition. Past winners have gone on to become leaders in their fields, including the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Mei Fong, and the renowned author, the late Elspeth Huxley CBE. In the past decade alone, the competition has engaged over 140,000 young people, over 5,000 schools and thousands of volunteer judges.
