When is a window not just a window? People looking out and passersby don’t have the same view. Looking out, we see the bigger picture and what lies beyond the safe confines of our homes and buildings. Looking in, we can hardly see anything; at most, a glimpse of a person or a room.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to telling stories surrounding a window. There could be things seen and not seen; reality obscured; and even secrets hidden from prying eyes.

The 20 writers in this year’s Junior Writers Programme worked long and hard on their stories. They learnt about digging deeper for realistic emotions. They became busybodies by eavesdropping on conversations to make their dialogue more natural. They found out about research and dwelling on emotions and thoughts to flesh out their characters. They asked “why” and “how” to become better writers. We hope you find their stories entertaining, intriguing and thought-provoking.

This is the seventh book from the Junior Writers Programme, which is conducted annually with a new batch of writers each year.

As with previous years, the royalties from the sale of this book go to charity. This year, the recipient is Yayasan Chow Kit, a non-profit organisation serving the needs of children and teens in the Chow Kit area of Kuala Lumpur.

Congrats to the Junior Writers 2024 for having the perseverance and commitment to produce short stories for this book. May this be the start of your writing journey. If you can imagine it, you can write it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.