By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 1: Twenty talented writers have been shortlisted for DayakDaily’s highly anticipated ‘Homestay Odyssey’ writing competition for 2025.
From a total of 111 compelling entries, 10 candidates have been selected from the Adult Category, which saw 74 submissions. Another 10 promising individuals have been chosen from the Youth Category, which received 37 submissions.
The excitement culminates at the award ceremony, scheduled for August 16, 2025 (Saturday) from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Waterfront Hotel, Kuching. All shortlisted participants are invited to attend, as the winners will be announced live during the event.
The full list of shortlisted participants is as follows:
Adult Category (19-years-old and above)
- Natalie Hascinta Nabau
- Felicia Laleng Jimmy
- Charraine Sudin
- I’rfan Akmal Azman
- Benedict Samling
- Elizabeth Chen Ching Ying
- Nur Hidayah Muhammad Nur Arshad Chupuong Abdullah
- Sharlene Melissa Lau Ya Wen
- Ashley Kho Jia Yik
- Lee Woon Jiun
Youth Category (12 to 18-years-old)
- Yuky Siew Qi Qi
- Ian Liew Ting Yee
- Adeline Ting Sze Jing
- Dania Nur Alesha Dilah
- Gayle Avril Chan Ai Wen
- Churchill Ryan Hollis Changai
- Claire Chen Ching Yuan
- Bernard Yong Qian Ze
- Christian Richardson Donald
- Benedict Lau Shu Xian
The prizes for each category are listed as follows:
Adult Category (19-years-old and above)
| Ranking | Cash Prizes | Add-Ons |
| Gold | RM 3,500 | 3D2N voucher at Imperial Hotel, Kuching
Trophy and Certificate |
| Silver | RM 2,500 | Trophy and Certificate |
| Bronze | RM 1,500 | Trophy and Certificate |
| Consolation x 2 | RM 500 x 2 | Trophy and Certificate x 2 |
Youth Category (12 to 18-years-old)
| Ranking | Cash Prizes | Add-Ons |
| Gold | RM 2,500 | 3D2N voucher at Imperial Hotel, Kuching
Trophy and Certificate |
| Silver | RM 1,500 | Trophy and Certificate |
| Bronze | RM 1,000 | Trophy and Certificate |
| Consolation x 2 | RM 200 x 2 | Trophy and Certificate x 2 |
Certificates will also be given to all participants shortlisted in the top 20.
The writing competition was open to Sarawakians aged 12 and above. Participants were required to write a short essay with a maximum of 500 words and at least one original photo about their homestay experience in Sarawak.
All winning articles will be published on DayakDaily.com as well as DayakDaily’s other social media platforms.
The writing contest is organised by DayakDaily with the support of the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts. —DayakDaily
