The Salamanca City Poetry and Novel Prizes They once again take center stage in the literary calendar with a new edition that has already begun. The Salamanca City Council, through the Salamanca City of Culture and Knowledge Foundation, has launched the call for writers and poets to submit their works and compete for awards that have become a fixture on the cultural scene.
The deadline for submitting originals, which is done entirely online telematics via the mundoarti platformThe call for submissions will remain open until March 13. Those who have a novel manuscript or a poetry collection ready, and who meet the conditions established in the rules, can now submit their work with an eye toward the jury's decision and the subsequent publication of the winning works before the end of 2026.
Open call and prize endowment
The new call for the Salamanca City Poetry and Novel Prizes It is already active and open to authors of any origin, provided they submit their works in Spanish and meet the established requirements. These are awards with a distinctly literary character that combine Financial recognition and publishing opportunity, two aspects especially valued by the creators.
Between both modalities, the organization will distribute a total of 23.000 Euros in prizes, in addition to guaranteeing publication and distribution of the winning titles. The Salamanca City Council, through the aforementioned foundation, thus reinforces its commitment to literature, positioning these competitions as one of the most stable cultural focal points within the Spanish and, by extension, European literary sphere.
Submissions must be sent exclusively via worldartThis platform is where authors must register and upload their original work following the instructions provided. Submissions via other means will not be accepted, which simplifies the process and allows for centralized management of all proposals.
According to the organizers, the The deadline for receiving submissions is March 13th.This deadline is considered non-extendable. From the official opening, scheduled for Monday, January 19, participants have several weeks to finalize the preparation of their manuscripts and complete their registration.
For any specific questions, the organization refers to the Full terms and conditions available on the official website from the Salamanca City of Culture and Knowledge Foundation, where legal details, presentation issues and conditions relating to copyright and publication are detailed.
30th edition of the City of Salamanca Novel Prize
El City of Salamanca Novel Prize This year it reaches a symbolic milestone: its thirtieth edition since its creation in 1998. In these three decades it has established itself as a benchmark for narrative in Spanish, opening the door to established authors and emerging voices seeking a boost for their literary careers.
The winning entry will receive a financial endowment of 15.000 eurosThis amount places the award among the most prestigious national narrative prizes. In addition to the monetary award, the winning manuscript will be published and distributed by the publishing house. Wind EditionsThis guarantees a presence in bookstores and regular sales channels.
Regarding the requirements, only works will be eligible to participate original and unpublishedEntries must be written in Spanish and must not have won any other awards or be pending judgment in other competitions. This requirement aims to avoid duplication and ensure that the winning title enters the market with a clean slate.
Furthermore, the bases establish a Minimum length of 100 pages and maximum of 200, submitted in DIN A-4 format. This range allows for the submission of medium-length novels, a manageable size for both the jury's reading process and subsequent editing, without closing the door to different proposals of genre or narrative style.
Salamanca City Poetry Prize: 29th edition
Alongside the narrative competition, the City of Salamanca Poetry Prize It will celebrate its twenty-ninth edition, just one year less than the novel category. Over time, it has become an important event for those who work with verse in Spanish and seek a solid platform for dissemination.
This award has a financial endowment of 8.000 eurosIn addition, the winning poetry collection was published by the publishing house. Cordelia KingdomA specialized publishing house that has built a catalog closely linked to quality poetry and literature. The combination of a cash prize and professional publishing presents a significant incentive for authors.
The poetry jury will be headed by Antonio Colinas, one of the essential names in contemporary Spanish poetry. Joining him in the deliberations are Asunción Escribano, César Antonio Molina, FermÃn Herrero, José Luis Puerto, Juan Antonio González Iglesias, and Jesús Egido, a panel with extensive creative and critical experience.
Regarding the conditions for participation, the poetry collections must also be unpublished works, written in SpanishThe work must not have received other awards and must not be awaiting a decision in parallel competitions. This requirement aligns with that of the novel category and reinforces the uniqueness of the selected work.
The minimum length required for original poetry submissions is... 500 verses in DIN A-4 formatThis volume of text allows for a deeper appreciation of the poetic proposal, both in terms of the unity of the book and the development of a unique voice, beyond a few isolated poems.
Common requirements and submission of originals
In both novels and poetry, the foundations insist on the originality and exclusivity Regarding the manuscripts, works that have already been published, whose rights are committed, or that are simultaneously participating in other competitions awaiting a verdict will not be accepted. This point is key to guaranteeing the transparency and legal certainty of the call for submissions.
The submission of the works will be done exclusively through the worldart platformAuthors must create an account, fill out the requested information, and attach their original submissions in the accepted formats. The system allows all submissions to be channeled through a single platform, facilitating the subsequent work of the jury and the organizers.
The submission period formally began on Monday January 19The date from which interested parties can submit both novels and poetry collections is [date omitted]. The call for submissions specifies that the The deadline will close on March 13th.There is no plan to extend the deadline, so it is recommended not to wait until the last minute to avoid possible technical issues or delays in uploading files.
In addition to purely literary aspects, the rules include issues relating to processing of personal data, transfer of rights for publication of the winning works and possible promotional activities linked to the prize, such as presentations, public events or participation in literary meetings.
The Salamanca City of Culture and Knowledge Foundation encourages you to consult the detailed information through its institutional portalwhere all points of the call for entries can be reviewed at length before formally registering. This way, participants ensure they meet each requirement and avoid formal errors that could disqualify their work.
Literary tradition and the awarding of prizes
The Salamanca City Poetry and Novel Prizes Over the years, these awards have become a deeply rooted tradition within the city's cultural offerings. Established by the City Council and channeled through the Salamanca City of Culture and Knowledge Foundation, these prizes have helped to associate the name of Salamanca not only with its historical and academic heritage, but also with contemporary literary creation.
Each new edition reinforces the national and international projection The competition, which accepts manuscripts from across Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, combines a high-caliber jury, a substantial prize fund, and the support of specialized publishers, placing these awards on the radar of numerous writers and poets.
The organization has anticipated that both the awarding of the prizes and publication of the winning works take place before the end of 2026. Over the next few months, the reading and deliberation process will take place, culminating in the final decision and the public announcement of the selected names.
In a context where it is not always easy to find stable spaces for literature, these kinds of initiatives represent a concrete support for the creationoffering authors the opportunity to see their texts recognized, edited, and made available to readers. For many, simply participating is a way to measure their work against a demanding jury and other high-quality manuscripts.
With the call for entries now open, the schedule set, and clear guidelines, the City of Salamanca Poetry and Novel Prizes are preparing to add a new batch of originals which will be eligible to join the list of winners of the competition and expand the catalog of the publishers involved, consolidating once again Salamanca as one of the reference points for literature in Spanish.