Brightwave Initiative

Your Story, Your Voice

A national storytelling journey for young minds.

Students write about the emotions, pressure, dreams, fears, and personal experiences that usually stay unspoken.

Register Now See Rules

This is not submit, win, leave.

It is a storytelling journey where students write their stories, take part in reflection prompts, get featured, enter The Brightwave 50, and speak their stories in the final video round.

Theme 01

Academic Pressure

Exams, expectations, comparison, fear of failure, and the pressure nobody sees.

Theme 02

Family & Expectations

The distance between who you are, who they need you to be, and what you carry silently.

Theme 03

Friendship & Loneliness

Bullying, isolation, kindness, peer connection, and the friend you needed.

Theme 04

Identity & Self-Doubt

The version of you nobody sees, and the thoughts that stay hidden.

Theme 05

Hope, Healing & Growth

Recovery, resilience, courage, starting again, and learning how to continue.

Theme 06

Open Theme

A real, fictional, or inspired story that still belongs to the Brightwave spirit.

Competition journey

Your story does not end at submission. It begins there.

  1. Step 1
    Register

    Join the competition and choose your theme.

  2. Step 2
    Write Your Story

    Submit a 700-1,200 word story in the selected theme.

  3. Step 3
    Weekly Reflection Stage

    Take part in prompts, excerpt features, and page activities.

  4. Step 4
    The Brightwave 50

    Top 50 stories are shortlisted as the first storytelling cohort.

  5. Step 5
    Video Storytelling Round

    Finalists submit a 2-4 minute video reading their story or selected excerpt.

  6. Step 6
    Final Awards

    Winners, category awardees, and special recognitions are announced.

Prize Pool: 30,000 BDT

Cash and gift prizes for top winners, with certificates, publication features, badges, and recognition for many finalists.

8,000 BDTGrand Story Award + Trophy + Certificate
5,000 BDTRunner-Up + Certificate
3,000 BDTSecond Runner-Up + Certificate
2,000 BDTJunior Voice of the Season + Gift + Certificate
2,000 BDTSenior Voice of the Season + Gift + Certificate
1,500 BDTPeople's Voice Award + Certificate
1,500 BDTBest Storytelling Performance + Certificate
1,000 BDTMost Courageous Voice + Certificate
1,000 BDTMost Hopeful Story + Certificate

The Brightwave 50 finalists receive finalist certificates, digital badges, video round invitations, and publication consideration in Brightwave Journal.

Who can join

  • Open to students in Bangladesh
  • Junior Category: Class 6-10
  • Senior Category: Class 11-University
  • Individual participation only
  • Story may be real, fictional, or inspired by real experience

Submission rules

  • Word count: 700-1,200 words
  • Original writing only
  • AI-written stories are not allowed
  • No hate speech, graphic self-harm details, or harmful instructions
  • One submission per participant

Judging criteria

Main winners are selected by judges. Public voting is used only for the People's Voice Award.

30%Writing & Storytelling
25%Emotional Honesty
20%Originality
15%Message & Impact
10%Clarity & Structure
Video RoundVoice, emotion, clarity, and connection with the story

Write it. Speak it. Be heard.

Register for Your Story, Your Voice and become part of Brightwave's first storytelling season.

Register Now