MEET THE OXFORD BIG READ GLOBAL 2023/24 WINNERS
INSPIRED BY READING
This year, student champions participating in Oxford Big Read selected books of their choice from lists of qualifying OUP readers. The students’ reading selections reflect both classic and contemporary themes. Winning submissions demonstrated thoughtful design, well-crafted essays, and critical thinking.
Participating offices of Oxford University Press including Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, and Pakistan, received thousands of submissions through participating schools and institutions. The winners became semi-finalists in the regional Oxford Big Read Global Campaign. Below, you will meet the winners of our fifth annual regional campaign!
CATEGORIES FOR PARTICIPATION
CATEGORY 1: DESIGN A NEW BOOK JACKET
* For those aged 5 years old to 8 years old at the time of entry
All participants read an OUP book and then designed a new cover.
CATEGORY 2: TELL US WHAT YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THE BOOK OR WHAT YOU WOULD CHANGE
* For those aged 9 years old to 12 years old at the time of entry
All participants read an OUP book and wrote a response describing what they found interesting or what they would change about the book.
CATEGORY 3: WRITE A CRITICAL REVIEW OF AN OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS BOOK
* For those aged 13 years old to 15 years old at the time of entry
All participants read an OUP book and wrote a critical review describing the theme, plot, and characters.
Awards and Prizes
Three Winners will each receive:
- an Apple iPad
- an Official Award Certificate
Three Runners-up will each receive:
- a Cash Award or Gift Certificate (equivalent to £100.00 GBP)
- an Official Award Certificate
Announcing the official GLOBAL winners of the 2023/24
Congratulations to all our champion artists and scholars!
Category 1
Design a New Book Jacket
Winner
Ages 5-8
Name: Hannah Fathima
Entry: Jungle Book Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Country: India
This is wonderful! It’s careful, comprehensive, detailed and engaging, and you’ve included all the elements. The blurb is effective and covers the main elements really well. Your design is beautifully consistent throughout – front, back and spine – and the placement of elements on the front is clever and stylish, using perspective with assurance, and drawing the eye to different elements, especially in the framing and in the contrast between the silhouettes in the background and the gorgeous portrait of the tiger in the foreground. Lovely!
Runner-up
Ages 5-8
Name: Aisha Abdul Nasir
Entry: Hala’s Window by Farida Mirza
Country: Pakistan
You’ve used colour and detail really well here, and I like the way you have included much more in the window than the publisher used on the “real” cover. I also like the girl’s expression and pigtails! You can see how she feels and what she’s thinking. Well done!
Category 2
TELL US WHAT YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THE BOOK OR WHAT YOU WOULD CHANGE
Winner
Ages 9-12
Name: Ian De Rodt
Entry: Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Country: Chile
Well done on this excellent review! It was obvious that you loved this story, identified with the characters and felt (and thought) deeply about its moral dimension. You have the makings of a fine book reviewer – keep up the great work!
Runner-up
Ages 9-12
Name: Alicia Duque y Guzman Ortiz
Entry: The Heron and the Hummingbird by Rachel Bladon
Country: Colombia
I found your review original, enthusiastic and very charming! I especially enjoyed your suggestion of changing the story into a play, and thought that the reasons you gave were excellent! Well done, and keep up the good work!
Category 3
WRITE A CRITICAL REVIEW OF AN OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS BOOK
Winner
Ages 13-15
Name: M Ayyan Amjad
Entry: Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
Country: Pakistan
Your review really encouraged me to pick up this book. I enjoyed the adjectives and verbs you chose to use, as they helped me visualise the scenes portrayed in the book. You also describe the characters well, including their weaknesses. It was helpful to read something of the context in which the book was written. Finally you make a fair judgement of the book, weighing up its positives and negatives. I found your review very readable. Well done!
Runner-up
Ages 13-15
Name: Arayna
Entry: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Country: India
You have a very impressive command of language so I’m glad that you chose to review a book which deals with such complex human themes. This has allowed your understanding of the novel to shine through. You show that you understand the social conditions of the time in which it is set, the motivations of Jane Austen in writing it, and how these issues are still relevant today. In some places, your words are not used correctly so you should take extra care in future when composing sentences. But overall this is a deeply insightful review that drew me in to the storyline, characters and themes. Congratulations!