Max Life Insurance igenius Young Authors’ Hunt receives 5,000 stories

Ludhiana, August 11, 2013: Max Life Insurance declared the closure of first round of its igenius Young Authors’ Hunt. More than 50,000 children registered for Young Author’s Hunt, of which 5,000 children submitted stories with complete details and registration formalities. The igenius Young Authors’ Hunt aims to promote the writing talent of young Indians and will culminate in a book of stories. Eminent authors, Ruskin Bond and Chetan Bhagat, form a part of the expert jury members, while the editorial support is provided by Rupa Publications India.

Talking about this initiative, Anisha Motwani, Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance said, “These stories are a window into the fantastic world of children - from the story of a stone, to murder mysteries, their imagination and innovation is amazing. More than the competitive spirit that these children have shown by sending in entries so enthusiastically, I'm glad that this generation is dedicating their time to reading and writing.

Eminent writer, Ruskin Bond said, “It was a fantastic experience going through the entries sent by children for the 'Young Authors' Hunt.' The simplicity and innocence found in these stories is something we don't get to read these days.

Popular writer Chetan Bhagat said, “What struck me most was the wide range of their imagination, evident from the stories and essays that we received, from ghost and alien stories to what the youth could do to make India a better country.

Max Life Insurance igenius Young Authors' Hunt (Juniors & Seniors) will go through a three-round selection process. Shortlisted participants from Round one will appear for on-the-spot creative writing in Round two in Reliance Web World. The Final Round will have short-listed participants from Round two, who will interact with the jury through video conference to be held in September 2013.

Fast Facts:

-          67% of the participants were between 11 and 14 years

-          Participation from more than 300 plus cities across India

-          The number of fiction write ups are significantly higher than essays

-          Fiction categories were mainly on ghosts, aliens and many stories are based on International locations