About the Competition

Update

The application deadline has been extended to 3 January 2025 (Friday).

Click here to apply.

Organiser

The Once Upon A Book Storytelling Competition 2024/25 is organised by the Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) Section, Curriculum Development Institute (CDI), Education Bureau and supported by the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).

Aim and Objectives

The aim of the Once Upon A Book Storytelling Competition is to promote reading, as reading extensively provides students with powerful learning opportunities and contributes to whole-person development.

The objectives of the competition are to provide students with the opportunities to:

• explore diverse narratives, characters, ideas, and emotions through reading;
• express themselves freely, confidently, and creatively in English by sharing their passion for reading a book of their choice using a range of storytelling techniques;
• develop their communication skills and creativity through a thoughtful video presentation of a book; and
• cultivate values and attitudes through their engagement with books and storytelling.

Description of the Competition

The Once Upon A Book Storytelling Competition encourages a community-wide engagement with reading and storytelling. It is open to primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong in the public sector, including schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS schools). The competition encourages and rewards both whole school participation and individual submissions. Participants can work individually or in pairs to create and present a storytelling video based on a chosen book. 

The competition has four divisions from KS1 to KS4. (See table below for details.) 

Refer to the table below for an overview of the competition awards and prizes.