2025 UM World Players Creative Writing Contest

Concept of the contest

German thinker Friedrich Schiller once proposed the Spieltrieb (game drive) theory, suggesting that the only way for people to liberate themselves is to maintain the mindset of a game player. In games, we create our own rules. We follow these rules out of free choice, not because they were imposed by a higher power or authority. When we view life as a game and ourselves as players, we become capable of free imagination, invention and creation, rebel against discipline, and truly gain the potential to live our ideal lives. The collective power of the perspectives of these individuals is infinite, with words being the sword that can shatter all constraints and help us approach authenticity.

In creative writing, we practice the spirit of freedom, rebellion and idealism. UM supports new generations of literary creators as they employ words as a medium for freedom, continuously perform experiments in literature, explore the past, present and future of literature, and use limitless imagination to express themselves and break boundaries.

At the same time, UM’s collaboration with renowned publishers and literary magazines will ensure that various opportunities are provided for outstanding young authors, and their work will be showcased to broader audiences. In this era where information is cocooned increasingly strictly, the writing revolution that UM advocates for is a cognitive breakthrough, evidencing to the world the power of literature, humanity, and freedom.

Theme: "Modernity"

This year’s World Players Creative Writing Contest invites literature enthusiasts to embark on a thought-provoking journey with the theme of “Modernity”. There is no specific prompt, allowing participants to freely interpret and unleash their imagination. Content, technique, writing background— as long as any one of the above is related to the theme, the work is eligible for submission.

Eligibility & Rules

Entry requirements:

Entry is open to individuals from any country and any school. Candidates must be aged between 14 to 25 on the date of submission. Contestants are divided into two groups: High School Division (grades 9-12) and College Division (for college students.)

Writing Categories:

Submitted works should lie in any of the five genres: poetry, commentary (critical essay/editorial, etc.), scripts, novels (including short stories), and creative non-fiction (memoirs/personal essays, etc.). If you are unsure which category your work belongs to, please choose the closest one.

Scoring Criteria:

Scoring will be based on three main criteria: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal, authentic voice or vision.

Entry Fee:

29USD / 199 RMB. The fee will be used for contest operation and non-prodit activities only, including but not limited to website development, expert judging, certificates, and prizes. No additional fees will be charged.

Those who are unable to afford the entry fee may submit proof of financial hardship for a fee waiver.

Awards & Prizes

First prize: 150 USD / 1,000 RMB with paper and electronic certificates.

Second prize: 75 USD / 500 RMB with paper and electronic certificates.

Third prize: 30 USD / 200 RMB with paper and electronic certificates.

Runners-up: 15 USD / 100 RMB with paper and electronic certificates.

Honorable Mentions (Top 10%): Paper and electronic certificates.

Finalists (Top 25%): Paper and electronic certificates.

All participants will receive a participation certificate of excellence.

All certificates will bear a universal social code and the official recognition of China Writers Association, qualifying as international honors.

The top ten winning works will have the opportunity to be published on the official websites of Universe Memoir, Hangzhou Literature Association, and more, and in paper to be listed in national libraries and museums.

Contest Timeline

Registration and submissions open: April 1, 2025 (local time)

Registration and submissions close: July 15, 2025, 8:00 PM (local time)

Award results announcement: August 15, 2025

Registration & Submission

All contestants should register through the registration form in this website page below before submission.
After registration, submit your work through the submission form in this website page below.
Please submit your work in PDF format, with file names in the format of "Name-Genre-Title." For example: "Isabella Wang - Novel - Ling’s Consciousness." Please ensure that your name included in the file name matches with your name in the registration form.
Font requirements: Times New Roman, font size 12, 1.5 line spacing.
Do NOT include your name or school/institution in the document.
Note: Works without submitted registration forms will not be judged.

If you have any questions, please email support@universememoir.com.

Reviewing / Advisory Committee

Dr. Kate Brown

Thomas S. Siebel Distinguished Professor of History of Science at MIT. She is the author of several prize-winning books, including Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters (Oxford 2013). Her latest book, Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future (Norton 2019), translated into six languages, won the Marshall Shulman and Reginald Zelnik Prizes for the best book in East European History, as well as the Silver Medal for Laura Shannon Book Prize.

Dr. Henry Sussman

Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Johns Hopkins University, 1975. Charlotte M. Craig distinguished visiting professor at Rutgers University, fellow at the Center for Excellence at the Morphomata University of Cologne, and recipient of the NEH Humanities Fellowship for work on The Task of the Critic. The Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars.

Jake Halpern

Journalist, bestselling author, and the winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize and the New York Times best book of the year. His nonfiction book on debt collectors, Bad Paper, was excerpted for the Times Magazine. His debut work of fiction, Dormia, has been hailed by the American Library Association's Booklist as a worthy heir to the Harry Potter series.

Xie Gu

Member of the Chinese Writers Association, former vice chairman of the Guangzhou Writers Association, and representative at the 5th National Youth Writers' Conference. Winner of the "5th China Long Poem Award" and the "First International Humanities and Social Sciences Paper Competition" Excellence Award. His long poem “Tai Chi” was presented as a national gift to U.S. President Bill Clinton by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

Ju'ai Jin

Former deputy secretary and vice dean of the School of Humanities at Zhejiang Shuren University, deputy secretary and vice president of the Hangzhou Literature Association (Hangzhou Su Dongpo Research Association).

Yan Li

Ph.D. in East Asian Studies from Chonnam National University, South Korea, and holds a master degree in literature from Peking University. Member of the Chinese Literary Critics Association, director of the Hangzhou Literature Association, and recipient of the "Second Zijin Cultural Talent Award for Outstanding Youth (Literary and Artistic Youth)." His works have been published in several newspapers, including Literary News, The Beijing News, Beijing Daily, Jiangnan, Yanhe, Mangzhong, and Grassland.

Xuan Lu

Member of the Chinese Writers Association, senior journalist, graduate of the Chinese Department of Peking University with a master's in literature, vice president of the Hangzhou Literature Association, and director of the Hangzhou Su Dongpo Research Association.

Zhe Zhao

Editor-in-Chief of Hangzhou Literature, co-founder of Wildfire Bookstore, deputy secretary-general of the Hangzhou Literature Association, director of the Creative Liaison Department, vice president and secretary-general of the Youth Committee, and founder of the Hangzhou High School Literature Alliance.

Yuting Zhu

Ph.D. in Literature from Zhejiang University, postdoctoral fellow at the School of Philosophy, "Rising Scholar" at the Chinese Science Fiction Research Center, academic committee member of China's Science Fiction Writers Association, editor of Jiangnan University Journal (Humanities and Social Sciences Edition), and editorial board member of Global Science Fiction Academic Express.

Universe Memoir