It is now possible to participate in the 17th edition of A Sea of Words, an international short story contest organised by the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) in collaboration with the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF).
Under the theme “The Mediterranean We Envision”, this year’s edition encourages young people to imagine and narrate future visions of the region through original short stories. In a time of increasing polarization and social fragmentation, this contest provides a platform for literary expression that fosters dialogue, inclusion, and shared identity.
An international jury will select 10 finalists, who will be invited to Barcelona in September 2025 to participate in the award ceremony and a cultural exchange with Mediterranean writers. The winning texts will be published in digital format in their original language alongside an English translation.
Eligibility criteria:
- Applicants must be aged between 18 and 30 (born between 1995 and 2007) at the time of the deadline (31 May 2025).
- They must hold the nationality and reside in one of the 43 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Submission conditions:
- Stories must be original and unpublished, based on personal or fictional narratives.
- The text may be written in any of the official languages of the 43 Euro-Mediterranean countries.
- Only one submission per author is allowed.
- The story must not exceed 2,500 words.
- Submissions must be sent in Word format to [email protected] by no later than 31 May 2025
For full details, please visit www.iemed.org/seaofwords2025 and-or contact [email protected].
