Students from around the world have come together in a vibrant celebration of books, imagination, and creativity as part of this year’s Oxford Big Read 2025 — a flagship literacy initiative by
Oxford University Press (OUP).
Designed to inspire a love of reading beyond the classroom, the Oxford Big Read invites students to engage with OUP titles and respond through creative projects. The competition is structured across three age-based levels, allowing learners at different stages to explore literature in ways that suit their skills and interests — from designing book covers to writing critical reviews.
This year’s edition saw remarkable international participation, with entries from 15 countries across Asia and Latin America, including Colombia, Japan, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia. India alone recorded a striking 363% increase in submissions compared to last year, highlighting the growing enthusiasm for reading-led initiatives.
Organised by Oxford University Press — one of the world’s oldest and most respected academic publishers — the programme reflects OUP’s broader mission to advance education and promote literacy worldwide. Through competitions like the Oxford Big Read, OUP encourages students not just to read, but to think critically, express themselves creatively, and connect with stories on a deeper level.
After months of reading and creative work, the 2025 global winners have been announced, showcasing exceptional talent, originality, and engagement.
Level 1 (ages 5–8) focused on visual creativity, asking students to redesign book covers.
Winner: Mu Zha (China) for 'A New Home' by Jan Burchett and Sarah Vogler. The entry stood out for its imaginative concept of a mobile “roller skate home,” reflecting the student’s playful interpretation of the story.
Runner-up: Raniah Raiziel Battad Bumutay (Thailand) for 'Let’s Make Pizza' by Rachel Wilson.
Level 2 (ages 9–12) encouraged either written reflections or poster designs.
Winner: Pham Chau Anh (Vietnam) for a moving response to 'Hachiko' by Nicole Irving, capturing the emotional depth of the story about loyalty and patience.
Runner-up: Yufei Shen (China) for a visually striking poster inspired by 'Decline and Fall' by Evelyn Waugh, blending vintage aesthetics with sharp social commentary.
The competition’s oldest category, Level 3 (ages 13–15), challenged students to produce critical reviews or comparative analyses, demonstrating deeper literary understanding.
As Oxford Big Read continues to expand globally, it reinforces a simple but powerful idea: when students are given the freedom to engage with books creatively, reading becomes more than a task — it becomes an experience that sparks curiosity, empathy, and lifelong learning. Photo by Jonas M, Wikimedia commons.
