Novelist Ju (L) hands the Shwe Amyutay Literature Prizes for best short story to Me Moe (R).

THE fourth Shwe Amyutay Literature Prizes were announced on May 28 at Traders Hotel, but prize founder U Win Nyein announced at the ceremony that the future of the awards was in doubt.

“As of this announcement, the panel of judges for the prizes has been disbanded,” he told the audience at the ceremony.

“I might organise a new panel for next year. I’ve worked hard to solve the difficulties associated with the prizes, but I am working alone and the difficulties are numerous and endless,” he said.

U Win Nyein told The Myanmar Times after the ceremony that there were no problems with money, but there were “many difficulties in choosing the winning stories”.

He said the panel’s judges, including himself, had to read about 5000 articles a year before making their selections.

The Shwe Amyutay Literature Prizes, which were founded in May 2006, are chosen from among poems, feature articles, essays and short, serial and long stories published in monthly magazines from June until May of the following year.

The fourth Shwe Amyutay Literature Prizes were chosen from works published from June 2008 to May of this year.

The poetry award was given to Maung Yamone for a poem titled “Nargis” published in Teens magazine.

Nay Zin Latt won the feature category for a piece titled “Oo Saung Chin The Gaung Saung Hmu Ma Hote” that appeared in Shwe Amyutay magazine, while the essay prize went to Myay Latt Maung Myint Thu for “Hgnat Ka Lay Go Shat Loet”, which appeared in Pann Alingar magazine.

Me Moe won the short story award for “Ma Sar Tut Thu Myar” (Shwe Amyutay), while “Lin San Kite Ei Ma Kite Ei” by Man (Taung Lone Pyan) won the long story award (Shwe Amyutay).

Two prizes were also given for “new generation” writers, with the judge panel’s award going to Thar Kyi Swe for a piece called “Nay A Htwat Hmar Shwe Khwet Nae Ngway A Pyae Khut Kya Bar Soet” published in Shwe Amyutay. The reader’s choice award went to Maung Han Yie (Mandalay) for “Shwe Poe” (Shwe Amyutay).

No award was given for the serial long story category.

In accepting his prize in the new generation category, Maung Han Yie (Mandalay) said that past winners of the Shwe Amyutay Literature Prizes had inspired him to write fiction stories.

“I’m happy that my efforts have been appreciated,” he said. “This prize and the ‘New Generation’ section of Shwe Amyutay magazine offer strong encouragement to those who want to pursue this type of writing.”