Young Jordanian writers encouraged to participate in Euro-Mediterranean contest

AMMAN — The 11th edition of the International Short Story Contest "A Sea of Words" has been launched under the motto "Memory and Identity: Rethinking Cultural Heritage".

Launched within the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, led by the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and Spain’s European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), this pan-regional initiative seeks to provide young people with the opportunity to express their views on the matter.

According to a Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies statement to The Jordan Times, the literary contest is open to young writers aged between 18 and 30 years old from any of the 43 Euro-Mediterranean states. Candidates can submit short stories in any of the official languages of those states. 

The authors of the 15 best stories will be invited to attend the awards ceremony to be held in Barcelona between the 19th and 21st of September. They will also have the opportunity to take part in different cultural activities in the city and ultimately see their short stories published in an anthology, according to the statement. 

"Cultural heritage, whether tangible or intangible, is a fundamental part of our identity; it is a shared value and a sign of identity in villages and towns, natural landscapes and emblematic centuries-old constructions that bring us together in diversity," the statement read.

One of the main goals of the competition, according to the statement, is to create meeting spaces in order to foster debate between different young people in the Euro-Mediterranean region and promote knowledge of political, social, cultural and economic environments in the different Mediterranean countries and Europe.

Candidates should write a short story of 2,500 words maximum and submit entries to 
[email protected] by April 20.

Along with the 28 EU member states, Euro-Mediterranean countries include Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania,  Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Monaco, Montenegro  and Israel.