Disenchanting the Magical Spells in Fairy Tales
Could you imagine what the story would be like if Sleeping Beauty became Sleeping Handsome and a powerful princesses rode to the rescue? What if Snow White were Snow Black? What would happen if Snow White could access the Internet to make friends? What if the Ugly Duckling could photoshop his selfies before posting them on Instagram? A ‘he’ becomes a ‘she’ or a ‘daughter’ becomes a ‘son’?
The appeal of fairy tale retellings lies in the indefinite possibilities of disenchantment – that is about breaking reader’s expectations for what they are familiar with in the old tales. Fairy tales offer inspirations for contemporary fiction writers who retell the traditional tales with an aim to achieve social and political criticism and challenge cultural norms and gender conventions.
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021-2022 Creative Writing Competition! Please have a look at the fantastic stories our students have written:
Champion: Cai Jingtao – “Three Pigs”
1st Runner-Up: Ho Chun Hung – “The Tortoise and the Hare in 2022”
2nd Runner-Up: Yang Min – “The Little Match Girl”
Honourable Mention: Lee Yee Ching – “Aladdin’s Sacrifice”
Honourable Mention: Chu Ho Kuen – “The Red Phantom”
Honourable Mention: Fong Lap Yin – “Jack and the Beanstalk”
Honourable Mention: Shek Tsz Shan – “The Prince Escaped from B612”