Young artists from 10 countries have been awarded "Writers & Illustrators of the Future" at a ceremony for the annual contests held in Los Angeles.
Thirteen writers and 12 illustrators from around the world were awarded on Friday night for their excellence in science fiction and fantasy.
"We are very proud of the diversity these contests now exhibit. For the first time in the contests' 38 years, we have winners from 10 countries: Australia, China, England, India, Iran, Jamaica, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the USA," said John Goodwin, president of Author Services, Inc., the organizer of the contests.
The contests allow these young writers and illustrators to express themselves and put their dreams on paper, American actress Nancy Cartwright, a presenter at the ceremony, told Xinhua in an interview.
The "Writers of the Future" contest was initiated by American author of science fiction and fantasy stories L. Ron Hubbard in 1983 to provide a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.
Due to the success of the writing contest, its sister contest "Illustrators of the Future" was created in 1988 to provide that same opportunity for aspiring artists.
