Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition: Bronze Award Winner by Prisha,13, Kolkata

We are delighted to share that 13-year old Prisha from Bangalore, a published writer at Bookosmia has won a Bronze Award in the Junior category (for age Under 14) at the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition for 2024, conducted by the Royal Commonwealth Society. The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools, started in 1883 and sees thousands of participants across 55+countries every year. Last year 34,000 entries were received and hundreds of judges took 2-3 months to select a handful of winners across Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes. Do leave your comments to encourage this promising young writer achieving this stunning milestone at the global stage.

Title- Restoring the wealth of the oceans and seas

My idea of signing up for the beach cleanup campaign in the Andaman and Nicobar islands did not include getting berated by an Olive Ridley turtle.

Before I knew what the ocean even was, I loved everything about it – each wave lapping against the warm, granular sand, the scent brought in by the ocean breeze, the swiftlets, wood pigeons flying by, and most of all, the creatures living in it. I was a marine life aficionado. Every time I read a headline about a newly-endangered species, my heart broke, one piece at a time. So, naturally, now that me and my family were on vacation in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, I just had to
participate in the beach cleanup going on there.

It took some amount of begging, reasoning and yelling to achieve victory, but I eventually got my way. I arrived at the beach, and my spirits heightened to see that there were a lot of people there. I began my work, earnestly and sincerely. It was rewarding to see a polluted, tainted landscape become a pristine one. Just as I was picking up plastic soda cans and food packets from the sand, about to put them away, I picked up on a conversation.
“Oi, Judy! Look, there’s another one! Seems pretty dedicated, huh?”
“I say! We might actually have hope.”

I frowned. Quickly taking a casual glance around, I discerned that everyone was minding their own business. Whose conversation could I hear then? I waved it away. I was so engrossed in cleaning that I didn’t notice an outlandish trio of a dugong, a turtle and a giant trevally nonchalantly hovering near the coast close to my spot, until a small crowd started to gather there.

I was baffled. It wasn’t everyday that one sees such a thing. What astonished me even more was that the dugong appeared to be talking. Around me, people exclaimed, took pictures, and reached out to it, like illiterates. Instead of hearing whistling and trumpeting, which are its calls, I could hear a distressed gravelly voice.

“No touching! No touching! Can’t even enjoy a day out in peace! Good sir, did you hear what I just said?! Argh! Can’t do anything without humans ruining the picture!”
The trio promptly disappeared underwater.
I stared at the water. So, it was their conversation I could hear earlier?
As soon as the crowd thinned out, the trio resurfaced and waded over.
“Why, hello there!” said a kind voice, and it seemed to me like the Giant silvery trevally spoke. “Are you…talking to me?”, I whispered back.
“What else? You ain’t losing your mind. We came to tell you that we appreciate what you’re doing. People like you- ”

Before she could finish, the turtle cut in. “Well, this is the bare minimum! After the devastation you humans have caused us, it seems right that you should be the ones to fix it.”
“What she meant was- ”
“Judy, I know what I said! They have to learn. Their actions killed my children.” She turned to me.
“Look, kid, we appreciate what you’re doing, we really do. But don’t you think your own species is cruel? Look at what they’ve done. All my relatives have lost their homes. Our children have died. My friend here – ” she gestured towards the dugong, who waved at me – “most of her family is dead.  She’s what you call a ‘vulnerable’ species. It’s not just us. Friends from across the globe are dying. They’re forced to move from their homes because you polluted them. You’re still going to convince us that humans are good?”

I was tongue tied. I tried to imagine how she must feel.
“Truly…”, said the trevally. “Think about this place. The last time it was bustling with marine life – damselfish, coral snakes, wrasses, and clams – was during my ancestor’s time…I’ve only heard about it in stories,”  she said wistfully.
“All my family…I wish I could see them again. Just yesterday, my sister died because she ingested too much – what do you call it? – plastic.” Said the dugong.
“We’re representing all marine life here – it’s upon people like you to right the wrongs of your race.
Take small steps. But take them. Save the ocean.” The trevally said.
“I will,” I promised them.
As they went their way, a new determination filled me. I would become an ocean conservationist, I was sure. But for now, I would take the small step of cleaning this beach. For the ocean.
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Word count: 750 words

Prisha is a student of Bookosmia’s Sprouts Program to publish young writers. To join Bookosmia’s creativity class or publishing by young authors package, run by award-winning author Archana Mohan, reach us at  +91 76191 27444 or click below https://bookosmia.com/shop/featured-products/publishing-of-young-writers-sprouts-programme/