Birmingham-based arts organisation Sampad South Asian Arts has launched the third international creative writing competition in its enormously popular ‘Inspired By...’ series.
The new competition, Inspired by Gandhi, invites budding writers from anywhere in the world, from the age of 8 upwards, to reflect on the life, philosophy and vision of Mahatma Gandhi and to share their personal inspirations relating to the great leader, in the form of a poem, short story or piece of reportage.
The competition was formally launched at the Kochrab Ashram, a retreat in Ahmedabad, India which was founded by Gandhi in 1915 as a centre for his followers to study the concepts of human equality and self-sufficiency and to carry out work to uplift the poor.
Piali Ray OBE, Director of Sampad says: “Mahatma Gandhi is a towering figure in history whose philosophy of non-violence, passion for equality and independence and socio-political intelligence has inspired many leaders, luminaries and great thinkers throughout the years including Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, and-as highlighted on his recent visit to India -President Barack Obama.
Our competition now creates a special opportunity for people from anywhere in the world, from all walks of life to connect with this eminent Indian personality and express their inspiration through creative writing.”
Sampad’s previous initiatives in the series Inspired by Tagore and Inspired by my Museum successfully caught the public imagination and collectively triggered more than 2,000 entries from 46 countries across the world.
The organisation is now anticipating a similarly enthusiastic response to Inspired by Gandhi. The final date for entries to the Inspired By Gandhi international Writing Competition is Sunday May 31. The winning entries will be published in a special commemorative book.
