The organiser of Kids’ Lit Quiz (KLQ), an international literary competition for children, has unveiled the programme for 2018 World Final which begins July 1, in Auckland, New Zealand, where the overall winners will emerge.
Already, the winners of National Finals of participating countries have been announced, preparatory to the grand finale during which all of them will compete for the crown.
Nigeria’s participation and that of Thailand begin in 2019, as they are among the new members of the global competition, but Nigeria will be represented by the country’s coordinator, Mrs. Maluchi Chukwuemeka.
Part of the programme include visits to important monumental sites in Auckland before the final competition, which will be followed by a gala night.
The Kids’ Lit Quiz is an annual literature competition in which teams of four students aged 10 to 13, work together to answer wide-ranging literary questions, while the winning team from each region competes in the National Final; the winner of the National Final is then invited to the World Final held annually in July or August.
Mrs. Chukwuemeka said the benefit of Kids’ Lit Quiz lies in the fact that it motivates and inspires children to read a wide range of children’s literature for pleasure from the classics to the contemporary, from nursery rhymes to comics, and from folk tales to myths even as it offers children rewards they may not otherwise experience in the classroom setting.
Since its inception in 1991, thousands of students have participated each year throughout the world. Currently, quizzes are held in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK and USA.
Nigeria has just joined the international literary quiz, which it is billed to host for the first time on February 2019.
The quiz which will, initially, hold in Lagos, as a pilot scheme, is divided into two regions: Lagos Island and Lagos Mainland, which will compete to determine the National Champion that will represent the country in the World Final. The competition will be extended to other parts of the country later.
Already, some schools in Lagos have indicated their interests to participate in the international event for children, which have been slated for February 2019.
The teams of four students are asked to answer 100 questions on children’s literature divided into 10 categories, which vary each year. Each team is provided with a set of blank answer sheets and are asked to write the name of their school at the top of each of the 10 sheets.
The quiz competition was created by Wayne Mills, a former professor of education at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who wears a purple and black hat while hosting this literary quiz.
In 2008 Wayne Mills was given the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award to recognise his achievement in establishing the Kids’ Lit Quiz.
He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours in 2011 for meritorious services to education, specifically children’s literature.