The Culture Department of the Manzanares Town Hall, alongside the Lope de Vega Public Library, has officially launched the first edition of the 'Ciega de Manzanares' Short Story Competition. This initiative aims to encourage literary creation, reading enjoyment, and written expression among students under 18 years old attending educational institutions in the town.
Competition details
The competition is open to students from local secondary schools and is divided into three categories based on educational levels: Category A for first and second-year ESO students (equivalent to Year 7 and Year 8 in the UK), Category B for third and fourth-year ESO students (Year 9 and Year 10), and Category C for first and second-year Bachillerato students (Year 11 and Year 12).
Each student may submit one original, unpublished story in Spanish, on any theme. The competition rules, available on the Manzanares Town Hall website, specify that stories created wholly or partially using generative artificial intelligence tools will not be accepted. The organisers reserve the right to request clarifications or exclude works if there are indications of non-compliance.
Submission process
To ensure impartiality in the evaluation process, submissions must be made anonymously. Each entry should include only the title and pseudonym, accompanied by a sealed envelope containing the author's full details, including their educational institution, course, and contact information. All works must be submitted to the Lope de Vega Public Library by 31 October 2026, and submissions via email will not be accepted.
Awards
One prize will be awarded in each category, consisting of a €150 voucher for educational materials, a cultural voucher, and a diploma. A jury composed of experts in literature, education, and culture will assess the entries based on creativity, literary quality, linguistic accuracy, and narrative coherence. The results will be announced in November, with a public awards ceremony scheduled for 20 November.
Finalists of literary competitions
Additionally, the finalists for the literary competitions have been announced. Selected works for the 25th 'Ciega de Manzanares' Poetry Prize include titles such as Anatomía del dolor and Bestiario. The finalists for the 24th 'Calicanto' Short Story Prize include Ares 320 and Cerebro pensante. The jury will meet this Friday, and the final decisions for both competitions will be revealed shortly.
