We are pleased to announce the shortlist for The Harbinger Prize 2025. This year we invited teens from around the world to submit work that reflects their perspectives, concerns and hopes. The response was powerful: submissions showed originality and commitment to reporting and storytelling that matters.
We received more than 100 fantastic submissions from Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Fiji, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the UK and the US.
After plenty of deliberation, a group of 14 outstanding young writers have been selected for the shortlist. These entries were written in response to four prompts that asked them to question environmental and political links to local climate impacts; to report on cultural events and identity; to reflect on education after the pandemic and the democratisation of AI; or to examine the digital lives of their generation and its ethical implications.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 14 shortlisted writers (listed alphabetically).
- Abhijit Sanal, United States — for the piece The SAT as a mirror: Reflecting economic disparity
- Chloe Chou, China — for the piece Why us? Harmless or reckless: The consequences of AI
- Eleos Lo, Singapore — for the piece Singapore is losing more than pushcart dim sum — and why that’s a problem
- Jennie Yao, Canada — for the piece Digitally numb: When overexposure to tragedy makes us feel nothing
- Malena Troncoso Sarni, Argentina — for the piece Gen Z — defined by adaptability
- Matthew Ng, Hong Kong — for the piece Is AI eroding the humanities—and humanity itself?
- Maryam Alhumood, Saudi Arabia — for the piece The digital generation: Born in dystopia
- Mutaz Sameh, Saudi Arabia — for the piece The noisy tradition of Suboo: An echo through time
- Ryleigh Lemsic, Philippines — for the piece Buried by greed: Illegal mining and the lack of green policy-making in the Philippines
- Saanvi Akula, UK — for the piece Digital symbiosis: Living with the machine
- Siya Shah, Canada — for the piece Adolescence: Shining a light on the false sense of (cyber)security
- Stephanie Kwok, Hong Kong — for the piece Observations on the Muslim experience in Asia
- Sumayyah Bi, Fiji — for the piece Growing up digital in Fiji
- Viola Papp, Hungary — for the piece Fighting in the war against life
Thank you to everyone who entered and to the teachers, mentors and guardians/parents who supported them. The breadth and quality of this year’s submissions remind us that teen voices are profoundly important for positive change.
So, mark your calendars! After this announcement we will contact each shortlisted writer to join an interview period from 10 October to 20 October. The winners will be unveiled on 30 October.
Stay tuned!