Her entry, which previously claimed the national first prize, was selected from more than 1.6 million letters submitted from 65 countries. This marks the 19th time Vietnam has secured a prize in the competition since joining 37 years ago.

The information was announced by the UPU at the closing ceremony of the 28th Universal Postal Union Congress, held in Dubai on September 19.

Under the theme “Imagine you are the an ocean, write a letter to someone explaining why and how they should take care of you,” Minh Khue personified the Atlantic Ocean and addressed filmmaker James Cameron, appealing for a movie that could awaken humanity to protect the seas before it is too late. Her heartfelt and vivid storytelling impressed the international jury.

Cameron directed famous films such as Titanic (1997), The Abyss (1989), and Avatar (2009).

“Now, please make another film to reveal the truth about me, the Ocean. Humankind is destroying me and I am dying, and the human race is disappearing! Your new film should be called “The Ocean's Plea”. It should be a wake-up call to action, a test to see if humanity really loves its planet,” she wrote in the letter.

First prize went to Reyyan Demiriz of Turkey. Pham Doan Minh Khue of Vietnam and Kanlanfe Ingrid Ouali of Burkina Faso came second and third, respectively. Honourable mentions were awarded to young writers from Brazil, China, Georgia, Iran and Malaysia.

Vietnam launches 54th UPU letter-writing contest

VOV.VN - The Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) 54th International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People was launched at a ceremony held on November 11 at Nguyen Khuyen secondary and high school in the coastal city of Da Nang.