The SHHK Literary Awards was first started in 2003. The Awards is an amalgamation of the following 3 awards:

SHHK Primary Schools Chinese Essay Writing Competition which is started since 1984. National Secondary School Chinese Essay Writing Competition – Xin Lei Jiang. This competition is jointly organised by SHHK, Singapore Literature Society and Nan Chiau High School since 2003. Singapore Tertiary Chinese Literary Awards which is jointly organised by the Chinese Societies of both NUS and NTU since 1998. SHHK sponsored this annual event since 2002.

The amalgamation of the 3 awards reflects SHHK’s determination in promoting Chinese literary writing in a systematic and sustained way. Every year, the inaugural National Secondary School Chinese Essay Writing Competition and the Tertiary Chinese Literature Awards has attracted more than 200 participants. Through organising a series of Chinese writing competitions and promoting reading habit, SHHK hopes to raise the standard of Chinese Language in Singapore.