Last days to submit entries for the IV International Poetry Prize ‘Ciudad de Estepona’, with 7,000 euros for the winning entry and its publication by Pre-Textos.

The deadline is March 11. The previous edition surpassed 1,500 works, making this award one of the most participated in the national panorama.

The jury’s decision will be made public on Poetry Day in Estepona, which this year will be held on May 2 and will feature recitals, presentations and lectures. That day dedicated to poetry will close with the concert of La Bien Querida, at 20 hours, in the Auditorium Felipe VI.

The Estepona City Council informs that next Monday, March 11, at 15.00 hours, ends the deadline for submission of works to the fourth call of the International Poetry Prize ‘Ciudad de Estepona’, which this edition increases to 7,000 euros the economic endowment of the Consistory for the winning work. The selected work will also be published by Pre-Textos, one of the most prestigious publishers and presence in Spain and Latin America.

The Mayor, José María García Urbano, has highlighted the commitment that the City Council has been making to promote culture in all its artistic expressions, to link the name of the city to cultural projects of relevance, as well as to recognize and encourage literary creation.

It has also valued the consolidation of this contest, which has emerged as one of the most prominent and interesting nationally and internationally, both for its financial endowment and the impact it has for the winning work to be published by one of the most important publishers in Castilian language. Thus, he recalled the success of all the previous editions and, in particular, last year’s record, where more than 1,500 works were received.

Interested artists can submit their original works until March 11, at 15.00 hours. The rules can be consulted at www.estepona.es and at the end of this note. The jury’s decision will be made public on the Day of Poetry in Estepona, which this year will be held on May 2, with an extensive program of activities such as recitals, book presentations and lectures. This day dedicated to poetry will culminate with a concert by La Bien Querida, at 8 p.m., in the Felipe VI Auditorium.

Prestigious Jury

The jury will be composed of members of recognized trajectory as Luis García Montero, poet and director of the Cervantes Institute; María Ángeles Pérez López, poet, professor at the University of Salamanca and member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language and the poet and playwright Alberto Conejero, among other important names in Spanish literature.

The director of this contest, the poet and writer Alejandro Simón Partal, has indicated that this poetry prize has consolidated in a few years as one of the most desired by authors who write in Spanish anywhere in the world. In fact, 30 percent of the manuscripts submitted last year came from different Latin American countries and 20 percent from Europe, Australia or Asia. In his opinion, “this international impact is motivated by the soul that we have put into this award and everything that revolves around it, since on the occasion of the award ceremony we organize educational activities for our young people and we take literature to the streets to promote reading, strengthen ties with the culture in our city and celebrate life”.

Rules of the IV International Poetry Prize ‘City of Estepona’.

1- The prize is open to all natural persons of any nationality. The works submitted must be original, unpublished, written in Spanish and may not have been awarded in other competitions. Each author may submit one or more works.

2- The works will be of free theme, with a minimum length of 200 verses, with no maximum length limit, with freedom of typography, font size and spacing. The works shall be submitted exclusively in digital format.

3- The digital copy shall be submitted in PDF format and shall be sent to the following e-mail address: premiointernacionalpoesia@estepona.es The e-mail shall only contain as subject the title of the original and the slogan or pseudonym under which it is submitted to the contest. The e-mail may be sent from the personal address of the author of the work. Once received, it will be registered as a competition entry and the file will be sent to the jury. The author will receive acknowledgement of receipt of the work submitted in digital format. If no response is received by e-mail within 15 days of sending, it will be understood that the work has not been sent correctly to the address indicated and will not have been entered in the competition.

4- Two files will have to be attached: a file with the work in whose first page the title and the pseudonym will be stated and -such file- will be named with the title of the work; and another file with the author’s personal data (name and surname, ID or passport number, place of birth, title of the work presented to the contest, e-mail, telephone number, a brief biographical sketch and a current photograph) named as “Pseudonym Data” in the same e-mail.

5- The deadline for reception of originals will open on January 26th and will close at 3 p.m. on March 11th, 2024. No work will be accepted after the deadline.

6- The prize, which is indivisible, is endowed with seven thousand euros (7,000), to which the withholdings provided for in current tax legislation will be applied.

7- The publishing house Pre-Textos, one of the most prestigious publishing houses in Spain and Latin America, will be in charge of publishing and distributing the winning work.

8- The jury will be made up of a president, a representative of the Pre-Textos publishing house and other members of recognized literary trajectory.

9- Once the prize has been awarded, all originals will be eliminated except for the winning work. No correspondence will be maintained with the authors who present themselves for the prize.

10- The award decision will be made public on May 2, 2024.

11- Failure to comply with any of the above points may be grounds for exclusion of the work submitted.