From 2nd to 6th December 2024, GIIS Tokyo once again became a vibrant hub of literary discovery during its much-anticipated Book Week. This annual celebration of storytelling, creativity, and the written word brought together students, educators, and literary enthusiasts across Global Schools Group (GSG) campuses worldwide.

With a mission to nurture the storytellers of tomorrow, Book Week 2024 was an immersive literary journey filled with imagination, learning, and inspiration. The event featured two standout highlights:

Tsundoku: A Treasure of Tales Writing Contest 2024 – A global writing competition that brought together young authors from 10 GSG campuses across six countries—Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Saudi Arabia—offering them a platform to unleash their creativity, refine their storytelling skills, celebrate the power of words and showcase their literary prowess.

Watch the Tsundoku 2024 Winners Announcement
Read the winning stories on Tsundoku: Read the Tales

Virtual Author Visit 2024 with Anita Nair – An exclusive literary session with internationally acclaimed author Anita Nair, who shared her insights into the craft of storytelling and answered student-submitted questions from across GSG campuses.

Watch the full Virtual Author Visit 2024 with Anita Nair

Tsundoku: A Treasure of Tales – Giving Young Voices a Global Stage

Storytelling is an art that transcends boundaries, and Tsundoku: A Treasure of Tales has become a beacon for young writers across the Global Schools Group. This year, the contest brought together students from six countries in a shared passion for creative writing. The theme for 2024, Seigaiha - the elegant Japanese wave pattern symbolising infinite possibilities—inspired young authors to craft narratives that explored the depths of imagination and human emotion.

Tsundoku 2024 at a glance:
215 stories submitted at the campus level
72 finalists selected for the global round
Three competition categories:

• Grades 4-5 (young dreamers with big ideas)
• Grades 6-8 (adventurous voices in storytelling)
• Grades 9-12 (mature narratives exploring depth and complexity)

A distinguished panel of eight external international judges from India, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Macedonia, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela, who brought their expertise in literature, education, and storytelling to evaluate the submissions.
Winning stories now published online!

The competition was meticulously structured, featuring a two-stage judging process. The first round, conducted within each campus, determined the top three stories per category to move forward to the global level. At the global stage, the finalists' works were anonymised and rigorously assessed by an international panel of judges, ensuring fairness, diversity, and literary excellence.

Recognising Talent: Awards and Prizes

Every participant in the global stage of Tsundoku 2024 received an eCertificate—whether as a winner, finalist, or participant—in recognition of their achievement. In addition to the publication of their stories on the contest website, all winners were awarded hand-picked books as prizes:
First place – 3 books
Second place – 2 books
Third place – 1 book

The Tsundoku 2024 Winners Announcement Video is a testament to the sheer talent and dedication of these young writers, who poured their hearts into their stories.

Now, their words live on. Read their winning stories, where their creativity takes flight beyond borders, allowing readers worldwide to experience their imagination.

Virtual Author Visit 2024 – A Literary Conversation with Anita Nair

Every great writer was once a child with a story to tell, and every aspiring author seeks inspiration from those who came before them. This is why the Virtual Author Visit 2024 was a truly magical highlight of Book Week, offering students a rare opportunity to engage with Anita Nair, one of India's most distinguished literary voices.

Renowned for her internationally acclaimed works such as Ladies Coupé, The Better Man, and The Puffin Book of World Myths and Legends, Anita Nair has enthralled readers worldwide with her poignant storytelling, cultural richness, and deep human insights.

Session Highlights:

• A captivating discussion with a panel of GIIS Tokyo students, who led the session with curiosity and enthusiasm.
• A masterclass in storytelling—Anita Nair shared her perspectives on narrative development, world-building, and the emotional core of storytelling.
• Live responses to student-submitted questions from GSG campuses, covering themes of inspiration, writer’s block, and the creative process.

In a world where storytelling is an integral part of culture and history, Anita Nair reminded students that stories have the power to shape perspectives, evoke emotions, and leave a lasting impact on generations to come.

Experience the wisdom and inspiration from this literary exchange with Anita Nair by watching the full Virtual Author Visit 2024.

A Global Celebration of Literature and Creativity

"After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world."
— Philip Pullman

Book Week 2024 was not merely an event—it was a movement that honoured the transformative power of words. It encouraged students to dream boldly, write fearlessly, and embrace the art of storytelling.

Through 72 published stories, an exhilarating Tsundoku Winners Announcement, and an enlightening literary discussion with Anita Nair, Book Week 2024 proved that literature remains a universal bridge between cultures, generations, and dreams.

This literary festival was not merely an event—it was a movement, one that empowered young writers to embrace their voices, dream without limits, and tell the stories only they can write.

We look forward to another year of literary adventures, where students continue to write, explore, and shape the world through storytelling!

May the stories we tell today inspire the legends of tomorrow.

By Samuel Acosta