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Press Release

Find our latest announcements, news, and updates about Blue Kite Publishing and our initiatives to support young writers and diverse voices.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Blue Kite Publishing Announces 2026 English Creative Writing Contest for Korean Middle and High School Students

SEONGNAM, South Korea — 2025.08.02— Blue Kite Publishing is excited to announce the launch of the 2026 Blue Kite Writing Contest, an English creative writing competition that invites middle and high school students across Korea to submit original works of prose, both fiction and nonfiction.

Under this year’s theme, “Between & Beyond,” the contest aims to amplify the voices of young people navigating identity, culture, and belonging—stories that often go unheard in mainstream narratives. Selected works will be featured in Blue Kite Publishing’s inaugural anthology, Between & Beyond, to be released in June 2026.

“Many students, especially those from multicultural backgrounds, rarely see their own stories reflected in books,” said Min Ku Kim, founder of Blue Kite Publishing. “This contest is about giving them a platform to be heard, remembered, and celebrated—not just as students, but as authors.”

The contest is open to all middle and high school students in Korea, regardless of school type. Submissions must be original prose written in English, up to 2,000 words, in either fiction or nonfiction format.

Submission Opens: August 15, 2025

Deadline: February 15, 2026 (11:59 PM KST)

Winners Announced: March 15, 2026

Anthology Release: June 2026

A total of 10 winners will be selected—five from the middle school category and five from the high school category—and their works will appear in the anthology. Winners will also receive contributor copies, a certificate, and an invitation to the release event. Honorable mentions will be awarded at the discretion of the editorial board.

To ensure accessibility, Blue Kite Publishing offers the Across the Pond Editorial Scholarship, providing bilingual editorial support to students from multicultural homes who wish to submit a translated version of their work in English.

For more information and to submit, visit www.bluekitepublishing.com.

About Blue Kite Publishing

Blue Kite Publishing is an independent press dedicated to amplifying voices shaped by movement, identity, and belonging. Based in Korea, the press seeks to create a meaningful platform for both young writers and emerging authors whose stories transcend borders, cultures, and languages.

Media Contact:

Name: Jenna Seo
Email: operations@bluekitepublishing.com
Website: www.bluekitepublishing.com

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