Our creative non-fiction contest is officially open for submissions.

Free to enter, our annual contest seeks original writing of up to 1,200 words in the genre of creative nonfiction by self-identified women, non-binary and queer writers whose work engages with China (broadly defined). 

This year, our theme is In Flux:

We’re living in an era of constant flux; both inside and outside China’s borders, we’re seeing massive transformations in all spheres of life, from our technology and the environment that surrounds us to the ways we interact with one another. In that vein, we’re looking for essays that interrogate what it means to navigate uncertainty – what are the aftershocks of instability that tend to linger, and what does it mean to process these changes? The theme is, of course, open for interpretation; we want to know what it means to you. Whether that’s Chinese inflected takes on the impact of rising far-right movements in western countries, or a personal reflection on how gentrification in your neighbourhood has changed your sense of belonging – we want to hear how you’re responding to this era of change, both big and small. Essays written in Chinese will be considered but must include an English-language translation, along with the appropriate credit.

CASH PRIZES:

1st place: USD $100

2nd place: USD $70

3rd place: USD $50

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Please send an email to nuvoices@protonmail.com by March 1st with the subject line “ESSAY CONTEST 2026” that includes:

• An attached Word Doc/PDF with ONLY YOUR ESSAY and NO IDENTIFYING DETAILS (1,200 words max)
• A short bio in the body of the email

Check out last year’s winning submissions, penned by writers responding to the theme of “Chinese identity,” here:

1st place: “You need glasses for Asian faces.” by Juliette Yu-Ming Lizeray

2nd place: “I am a Midwestern Chinese Girl” by Jenna Wang

3rd place: “What you know (and didn’t know)” by Chris Yitao Shen

Judges

Jessie Lau is a London-based writer and globally-recognised journalist telling stories about identity and power, with a feminist approach. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she’s spent the past decade reporting from Asia, Europe and the United States. Her essays and reportage have appeared in The Guardian, BBC, Los Angeles Review of Books, CNN, Times Literary Supplement, The Economist and many more publications. A part-time journalism lecturer at Kingston University and judge of the 2026 Orwell Political Writing prize, Jessie is also the founder of New Tide, Britain’s only East and Southeast Asian journalism network, head of the magazine team at NüVoices, a non-profit supporting women and minorities working on China topics, and contributing editor at Translator, a publication of translated journalism. Follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Nicole Fan is a writer and editor based in Singapore. She covers global affairs across culture, business, politics and tech, with a focus on Asia’s role in a shifting world order. Her writing has appeared in The Economist, Rest of World and other international outlets. She also serves as the digital editor of editorial collective NüVoices and the founding editor of independent magazine The Primer. She holds a MSt in English from the University of Oxford and a BA in English from University College London. View her website and follow her on LinkedIn.