Celebrating Creativity and Culture at Chuka University StoryFest Third Edition

By Yvonne Njeri

A poster about the storyfest. Courtesy of Isaac Wambua.

The Chuka University Literature Department, in collaboration with yours2read.com, is holding its third edition of Story Fest for the 2025/2026 first semester at Chuka University, with the submission deadline set for 18th November 2025. This event is open to all Chuka University students, regardless of their faculty or school.

This forum encourages students to write original stories from their own imagination, without the use of AI or plagiarism of other authors’ works. Any form of plagiarism will lead to disqualification. Winners will be selected, with the first-place winner receiving Ksh. 30,000, the second-place winner Ksh. 20,000, and the third-place winner Ksh. 10,000. There will also be opportunities for outstanding writers to be considered for writing contracts, especially those who demonstrate exceptional creative talent.

A poster showing detail about the awards to be won. Courtesy of Isaac Wambua.

Submissions opened on 18th October 2025, and the deadline remains 18th November 2025. Students are encouraged to write original stories that showcase their creativity while adhering to the stated requirements. The required length for each story is 3,500–5,000 words, and writers must follow the outlined themes and submission rules provided by the organizers, including Dr. Mukasa from the Chuka University Literature Department and Bonface Nyamweya, a well-known author at the university.

A poster about the storyfest. Courtesy of Isaac Wambua.

The judging criteria will focus on creativity and originality, characterization, plot development, adherence to the theme, writing style, and overall language use, including grammar and spelling. All submitted stories will be evaluated by a panel of highly experienced judges in creative writing, and their decision will be final. The winners will be announced at an awards event to be held at Chuka University shortly after the submission deadline, and all participants are welcome to attend.

The organizers encourage all Chuka University students to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase their creativity, as it may open doors to greater opportunities in their future writing careers.