A total of one thousand works from all around the world presented for the 13th Fundación Jesús Serra poetry competition

"The entry period has closed for the 13th poetry competition held by Fundación Jesús Serra, part of Grupo Catalana Occidente, with a resounding success both in terms of the increase in the number of participants in several categories and in the variety of countries from which the entries hail. "

As part of its firm commitment to promoting culture in general, and poetry in particular, Fundación Jesús Serra is celebrating the 13th edition of its poetry competition, open to participants of all ages. A total of one thousand entries will be vying for the winning prizes, split into three categories. Category A, for entrants aged 18 and over, offers a prize of €2,500;  category B, from 14 to 17 years old, offers a prize of €1,500; and the winner of category C, from 10 to 13 years old, will take home €800, both for poems in Catalan and those in Spanish.

One of the successes of this edition’s entry period has been the diversity of countries from which the works presented hail - countries such as Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Australia, Israel, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Germany, Bulgaria, Portugal, as well as many entries from countries in Latin America, such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

With regard to participation by category, in Spanish there has been a notable increase in category C (from 10 to 13 years of age), meanwhile, category A remains the most popular and accounts for 67% of the total participation. Among entries submitted in Catalan, there has been an increase especially in category A (18 years of age and over) and category B (from 14 to 17 years of age), both of which have seen a 50% rise in participation.

One of the reasons for the increase in participation among adolescents, in Catalan, has been the work undertaken throughout the year to promote poetry through the circuit known as “Poetitza’t. Poesia a l’escola” (Get into Poetry. Poetry at school). This initiative came about through an agreement signed with ACEC (Associació Col·legial d’Escriptors de Catalunya, the Collegiate Association of Writers of Catalonia) and with the collaboration of more than 30 schools, presenting poetry as another tool of expression for young secondary school students. This aligns with one of Fundación Jesús Serra's objectives, which is to work to bring this literary genre closer to the people who represent our cultural heritage of the future.

The programme consists of holding innovative poetry recitals in schools, led by the poets Josep Pedrals and David Castillo, bringing the art of poetry closer to the younger generation and, in doing so, making poetry a tool of expression for everyone. The workshops cover different styles of poetic expression, ranging from classical poetry to so-called trap music.

Among other initiatives as part of the competition, this year's edition includes the creation of a new category, the Fundación Jesús Serra Special Poetry Prize, which honours the poetic works of a renowned writer throughout their career, with €5,000 in prize money.

The competition's panel of judges consists of established writers and professionals from the world of culture, such as the writer Elena Medel (winner of the 2016 Girona arts and literary prize, the Princesa de Girona de las Artes y las Letras); Josefa Contijoch (winner of the 1981 Miquel Martí i Pol poetry prize and the 1994 Salvador Espriu poetry prize); David Castillo (1999 Crexells prize, 2001 Sant Jordi prize); Professor Ricardo Fernández Aguilá and Alejandro Krawietz. This year, they will be joined by the prestigious writer Carlos Zanón (Brigada 21 award for the best debut novel of the year, and finalist of the Memorial Silverio Cañada, Giallo e dell Noir prize (Italy) and of the Violeta Negra prize (France)).

The judges’ decision will be announced in June 2020.

You can follow the latest news from the competition on Fundación Jesús Serra's social media profiles with the hash tag #ConcursoPoesíaFJS or on the website https://poesiafjs.com.

In this link, you will find a video offering a taste of what went on during the circuit “Poetitza't. Poesia a l’escola”.