COMPETITION FOR YOUNG WRITERS LIVING IN UNESCO CITIES OF LITERATURE NETWORK

Tools for communication are shapers of our view of the world and are part of our identity, serving as bridges between people. Languages embody all of these aspects.

In 2023, Kuhmo celebrated its status as the Finno-Uralic Culture Capital, highlighting the traditions of this language and culture family. Concurrently, this marked Kuhmo’s fifth year as a UNESCO City of Literature.

Inspired by these significant events, we direct our attention to our expanding Network. Kuhmo City, Kuhmo Town Library, and Kuhmo’s City of Literature program invite young writers from the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network to reflect on the significance of their mother language. Let’s celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity together!

The winner will receive a prize of €400 and will have the opportunity to perform their text at a public literary event organized by Kuhmo’s City of Literature Team. Writers placing second and third will receive books.

The top 10 texts will be featured in an exhibition displayed publicly in Kuhmo.

Competition Rules:

Who can participate?

This competition is open to writers aged 15–21 who reside in a city that is a member of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network. Unsure if your home city is a member? You can verify here: https://www.citiesoflit.com

Don’t hesitate to participate; this competition is open to all writers! No prior experience, educational background, or qualifications are required. Whether you’re a young author with published works or embarking on your first creative writing course, this opportunity is for you.

Entries: length and content

Compose a text of 800-1500 words addressing the following questions:

• What is my mother language?
• What does my mother language mean to me?
• How has my mother language shaped my identity?
• What is the most beautiful word in my mother language, and why did you choose it?

You may choose your own writing style.

Once your entry is ready, send it to cityoflit@kuhmo.fi with the subject line: your name, hometown, Jutun Juuri – Root of the Chatter Writing Competition. Include your text in a MS Word or PDF file, along with a background information sheet.

Permitted languages

Submit two versions of your text: one in your mother language and one in English. If English is your mother language, write the first version in your local dialect and the other in standard English.

Prizes

The winner will receive €400 and the opportunity to perform their text during a public literary event in 2024, conducted online.

Second and third-place winners will receive books.

Entries will later be showcased in a public exhibition in Kuhmo.

Restrictions

Each writer may submit one unpublished text.

Copying others’ works or using ChatGBT or similar AI apps to produce your text is strictly prohibited. Entries discovered to have been written with these methods will not be evaluated.

A text need not be grammatically perfect to be moving. We seek writers with strong literary voices and a compelling way of expressing their thoughts. Seize this opportunity without hesitation!

If you are a minor under the laws of your home country, please review these instructions with your guardian and have them sign the background information sheet with you. Being a minor refers to those not old enough to independently form contracts.

Copyright

By submitting their text to the jury, participants grant Kuhmo City of Literature permission to display their work in a public exhibition related to the competition and to share the text on Kuhmo City of Literature’s communication channels. Participants retain full copyright to their work, and any further uses will be negotiated case by case.

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; Competition for Young Writers living in UNESCO Cities of Literature Network