New Delhi, October 16, 2018 :As a part of the Gaj Mahotsav celebrations, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) hosted a story writing contest centred around our National Heritage Animal-The Asian Elephant. The contest aimed to integrate writers with the ‘Gaj Yatra campaign’ which is one of our signature projects launched in partnership with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

The campaign, in the form of a road show covering all the elephant range states of India, seeks to create a better understanding about Asian Elephants.

It was a tough contest with 51 outstanding entries read and marked by all members of the Jury comprising Ms Anita Nair; acclaimed author of books like Satyr of the Subway & Eleven Other Stories, The Better Man, Malabar Mind, Mr. Ravi Singh; Co-founder and Publisher Speaking Tiger Books and Ms. Rupa Gandhi; Senior Advisor, Wildlife Trust of India.

We are very happy to announce the winners!

First Place

‘Where is home’ by Namrata Dass is a remarkable story that evokes a series of emotions, pulling us along as it unfolds.  Read the story here.

Second Place

‘Elephants never forget’ by Amritha Dinesh is easy to envision as a full-length novel. Yet the writer brings together a very satisfying story in just a thousand words.  Read the story here.

Third Place

‘An Elephant on an Island’ by Ashley Barboza is a wonderfully written piece. With a simple yet vivid description, the writer keeps the reader hooked till the very last line. Read the story here.

PRIZES

The 1st Prize winner gets a set of 5 books from Author Anita Nair, the field guide by Vivek Menon- Indian Mammals, a WTI T-shirt and a specially created Gond Painting. The winner of the 2nd Prize will get a set of 3 books from Author Anita Nair, the field guide by Vivek Menon- Indian Mammals and a WTI T-shirt. Finally, the 3rd Prize winner gets the field guide by Vivek Menon – Indian Mammals and a WTI t-shirt.

Heartiest Congratulations to all the participants and the winners!