The highly anticipated second edition of the national Khmer dictation competition, dubbed “Angkor Writing”, is set to take place on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at the iconic Angkor Wat Temple. 

With registration already underway, 350 individuals have signed up for the event as of October 20. 

“Among the registrants, the youngest is a six-year-old boy from Phnom Penh, and the oldest is a 72-year-old man from Siem Reap,” said Leang Delux, executive director of the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ). 

This already breaks the record set by the first competition, where the youngest contestant was seven and the oldest was 67.

Delux, who is coordinating media coverage for the event, said the strong response highlights the growing interest in the contest. 

“We are seeing people of all ages joining, from children to the elderly, which shows that Khmer writing is still very much cherished across generations,” he remarked.

This year’s competition introduces a new format, with participants divided into two groups: those aged 18 and younger and those aged 19 and older. 

Lim Bunhok, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, emphasised that there is no minimum age for the younger group, welcoming anyone who feels confident in their Khmer writing skills.

“We want to encourage everyone who believes they can write in Khmer to participate. For the second group, there’s no upper age limit, making this event open to people of all ages,” Bunhok stated during a press conference on October 16.

Applications for the event, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and Ministry of Tourism, will remain open until the end of December 2024. 

To help cover organisational costs, including the distribution of T-shirts, participants are asked to contribute 20,000 riel ($5). 

Despite the lack of an official budget, the event is expected to draw significant attention, surpassing the first event’s turnout of 700 contestants. Organisers hope to see between 1,000 and 1,500 participants in January.

In addition to celebrating the beauty of the Khmer alphabet, the competition will test participants on their dictation skills, with the education ministry overseeing the technical aspects. 

Hour Chhun Kry, director-general of the ministry’s general education department, assured that all necessary preparations are in place.

“We have set up the technical specifications, and we’re ready to proceed when the day comes,” he said.

The second edition of Angkor Writing aims to build on the success of the first competition, which celebrated Cambodia’s literary heritage under the theme “Angkor Khmer Civilisation”.