ANNOUNCING Sunflower Stories Writing Competition

Sunflower Stories

An Oxford Literary Competition in Response to Ukrainian Children's Art

Oxford University Ukrainian Society (OUUS) and Sunflower Dreams Project, are inviting Oxford students to respond in words to the drawings of war-displaced Ukrainian children. Between 15 May and 21 June 2025, an exhibition of Ukrainian children’s paintings is taking place at the Taylor Institution Library. The artwork on display was created by children that are attending art therapy sessions in the western city of Lviv, in Ukraine. Most of the children are internally displaced, while some have a parent in the army or have lost a parent due to war. These sessions started in 2022, as refugees from the eastern parts of Ukraine arrived in Lviv seeking shelter after being forcibly displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Sunflower Stories is asking students to reflect and engage with the paintings and create a personal response. It can take the form of poetry, short story, or a personal essay. The inspiration can be one or several paintings. The written responses should aim to honour the experiences the children are going through by showing empathy.

The competition was created in partnership with The Black Sea Whale, the Taylor Institution Library, and the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages (Sub-faculty of Slavonic Studies).

Details regarding the competition and awards.

Open to: All current undergraduate and graduate students of the University of Oxford.

Submission: A written piece, of maximum 800 words. It can be poetry, short story, or an essay. The language should be English, but phrases in Ukrainian with translations are accepted.

Deadline: All submissions must be received by Sunday, 8 June 2025 (11:59 PM BST), using the Google Form. Use the QR code for more details and to submit.

Jury:

– Ulana Suprun, Editor-in-Chief of The Black Sea Whale, the UK’s leading magazine on Ukrainian literature and art (https://blackseawhale.com)

– Professor Polly Jones, Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, University of Oxford

– Kateryna Babkina, prominent Ukrainian poet, prose writer, columnist, screenwriter, and playwright.

– Dr Nadiya Ivanenko, Research Academic, University of Oxford

– Anca Marin, Oxford alumnae, volunteer in Ukraine and representing the Sunflower Dreams Project

Awards:

– Printed in Issue #4 of The Black Sea Whale (Autumn 2025)

– Published online by The Black Sea Whale and OUUS

– Published online on the Sunflower Dreams Project’s website

– Celebrated at the final event of the Sunflower Dreams exhibition (19 June, Taylor Library)

– Awarded symbolic prizes (book tokens, certificates, honorary mentions). A symbolic Ukrainian-made prize bundle.