Young Czech writer's letter to water triumphs in UPU’s 2013 International Letter-Writing Competition.

Fifteen-year-old Daniel Korcak, from Ostrava, Czech Republic, has won the UPU's 42nd International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People with his letter to the central European river the Oder.  

Recalling the current International Year of Water Cooperation, the 2013 contest asked budding writers to explain why water is a precious resource.

"I figured that many candidates would write to a person, so I decided to write my letter to water,” says the gold-medal winner, who captivated the international jury with his simple, creative and innovative prose.

"In the river you create, we bathe, fish, children play with you when building stone dams, athletes on boats struggle against your power, and many seek peace and quiet in your whisper… near your river, there is your sister, healing water, which… waits to be carried to the nearby spa where it helps heal our ailments," wrote Daniel.

The jury said the Czech’s writing gently brought home the need to respect water to ensure sustainable use. "Daniel reminds us just how much we depend on water, too often taken for granted. His letter, tender and universal in its appeal, portrays the Oder as a symbol of water everywhere," declared the jury. "Describing the life cycle of the Oder, he personifies water, which mimics our journey as human beings and therefore deserves our utmost respect.”

Congratulating this year’s winners, UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein said: “Communication is at the heart of the postal activity and, in a sea of digital messages, it remains critical for young people to understand the importance of the written word and the structured composition and recognize the emotions and call to action good writing can elicit. Postal services support literacy and communication, and we are delighted that our competition touches so many young people.”

An estimated 1.5 million young people from 60 countries participated in this 42nd letter-writing contest, which aims to raise awareness of the role postal services play in our societies, help young people develop their skills in composition and the ability to express their thoughts.

Second and third prizes

The silver medal goes to 14-year-old Nazifa Farhat Hye from Sylhet, Bangladesh, who described why water is even more precious than diamonds. "If you are in the middle of a vast desert… and there is no water,… then you will feel like offering all your valuable diamonds in return for that water."

The jury liked the clear and simple style Nazifa used to show that money can save no-one in such a situation, illustrating that water is every bit as precious as life itself.

The bronze medal goes to 13-year-old Gabija Petrauskaité from Sventoji, Lithuania. According to the jury, her poetic letter “is a mixture of the joy Gabija feels while contemplating the rain outside her window and the seriousness of the water challenges we face, in terms of climate change, drinking water shortages, and others.”  Winners will receive their prizes on 9 October 2013, World Post Day.

Next year Letter writing topic:-

The 2014 edition of the international competition will ask young people to write a letter explaining how music influences lives.