El Auditori de Caló de s'OliThe Ibizan municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia became the meeting point for young writers this Friday on the occasion of the Awards ceremony for the fifth edition of the Youth Microfiction CompetitionThe competition, promoted by the Cala de Bou Library of the Sant Josep Town Hall, continues to consolidate itself as one of the leading literary events for teenagers in the municipality.
Since its launch in 2021, this proposal has been gaining traction and participation, reaching in this edition 70 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18These new participants join the 355 young people who have competed in the five previous editions. The competition is designed as a tool for to bring literary creation closer to young people, strengthen the relationship with educational centers and maintain the library as a lively and welcoming space.
A competition focused on the idea of transformation
In this fifth edition, the organization proposed the concept of "transformation"The texts had to address some kind of relevant change, whether at the level emotional, social, physical, or related to personal identityalways with a surprising or revealing element that would turn the story around in just a few lines.
This approach has allowed participants to explore a wide variety of topics, from processes of personal maturation and adolescent crisis even social conflicts, changes in the environment or fantastic situationsThe assignment has allowed us to work on the synthesis skills inherent in microfiction, but without giving up on intense plots and complex characters despite the brevity of the format.
According to the Sant Josep City Council, the main objective is to develop creativity and narrative skills among young people, while at the same time reinforcing the use of Catalan in leisure and cultural creation contexts. The combination of a broad topic and a very limited length forces the authors to choose each word carefully. to work with precise language.
At the same time, the competition aims to keep alive the interest in reading and writing in an age group where, frequently, screens and other entertainment They tend to displace reading habits. The short and direct format of the micro-story is well-suited to the way many teenagers consume content.
The handover ceremony, open to families, students and teachersIt also served as a space for public recognition of the work of the participants, who were able to hear their names and the titles of their works in a full auditorium, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Support from the Department of Culture and the municipal library
During the ceremony, the Councillor for Culture of the Sant Josep City Council, Maria Jose RiosShe praised the competition's history and the students' involvement. The municipal official highlighted that initiatives like this aim to... to encourage creative writing, to hone narrative skills and, at the same time, consolidate the use of Catalan among younger generations.
Ríos emphasized that it is especially satisfying to see how, year after year, The stories presented by the participants are surprising for their imagination and the maturity of some of their approaches, despite being very short texts. This combination of creative risk and conciseness has already become one of the hallmarks of the Youth Microfiction Competition.
The Cala de Bou Library, which coordinates the organization, has emphasized the importance of the close collaboration with educational centers of the municipality. This alliance ensures that the competition is not just a one-off event, but rather becomes part of ongoing work in classrooms and within the library itself.
The organization emphasizes that the library is not just a place to borrow books, but also a space for cultural encounter and creationThe competition, along with other activities promoted throughout the year, helps young people see the center as a resource that is both their own and accessible to their interests.
In addition to to give visibility to the winning worksThe awards ceremony serves as a moment for publicly acknowledge the effort of all participating studentsregardless of who ultimately wins the main awards.
Involvement of institutes and microfiction workshops
One of the highlights of this fifth edition is the active participation of the teaching staff from the IES Sant Agustí and IES Sa Serra institutes, centers that have played a key role in the dissemination of the contest among secondary school students.
The Cala de Bou Library wanted to give special emphasis to the involvement of the teaching team from both schools, who have collaborated both in providing initial motivation and supporting the writing process. This close collaboration in the classroom helps the competition reach as many students as possible.
Since 2023, the competition has also incorporated a practical workshop on creating micro-stories Specifically aimed at secondary schools, these sessions, led by library staff, offer simple guidelines and concrete examples to help young people structure their stories in just a few lines.
These workshops cover aspects such as character building in a very small spaceThis includes designing an effective final twist or choosing a narrative point of view that adds strength to the story. The goal is not only to prepare students for the competition itself, but also to provide them with tools they can use in other academic or personal contexts.
According to the organization, this formula of combining competition and training has proven especially effective for overcoming the fear of the blank page And so that even those who had never considered writing might be encouraged to try. In this way, the competition also acts as a gateway to writing for new types of students.
Winners by category and awards given
The 5th edition of the Youth Microfiction Competition is structured in two age groups to guarantee a balanced competition appropriate to the level of each educational stage. In the first category, intended for young people aged 12 to 14The first prize went to Akram Aalouf El Moussaoui, author of the micro-story entitled “Supernormal”.
In that same category, the Second prize went to Júlia Ribas Rausell, who presented the text “Pages Without Meaning”. Both works were valued by the jury for their ability to handle the theme of transformation with originality and effective use of the short formatoffering complete stories in just a few lines.
In second category, aimed at participants between 15 and 18 years oldThe jury awarded first prize to David Morato López for his story “The Echo of the Cliff.” According to the organizers, the piece stands out for its atmosphere and its masterful use of language. revealing element in the final part of the text.
El The second prize in this age group went to Adriana Macho Castillo, with the micro-story “The Door”, a story that also fits the theme of transformation through a suggestive premise and an ending that plays with the reader's surprise.
As for material awardsThe first prizes in both categories consisted of a touch tablet, while the second positions were recognized with a check or voucher for the purchase of booksAll the winners also received a certificate and a small commemorative gift presented during the ceremony in the auditorium.
An event open to the educational community
The awards ceremony was designed as an open gathering, in which participants the authors themselves, their families, and faculty members from the participating centers. This format allowed the young people to feel supported by their closest circle during a moment of recognition for their creative work.
During the event, the different categories were announced, the winners were named, and emphasis was placed on the overall quality of the texts submittedBeyond the stories that ultimately win prizes, the organization intends to emphasize that the value of the competition lies as much in the result as in the process that the participants experience while writing.
After the presentation of diplomas, tablets, and book vouchers, the attendees were able to share a pica-pica or small snackThis led to informal conversations among students, families, teachers, and library representatives. This more relaxed atmosphere allowed many of the young people to share their ideas, exchange impressions about the stories, and express interest in future activities.
This close and community-oriented nature of the event reinforces the idea that the Youth Microfiction Contest is not limited to a mere isolated literary competitionbut rather forms part of a broader local cultural fabric, where institutions, educational centers and families all push in the same direction.
With five editions already held since 2021 and a total of 355 accumulated participantsThe competition, organized by the Cala de Bou Library and the Sant Josep Town Hall, has become a well-established initiative to promote reading and writing among young people. Its focus on engaging themes, the support of local schools, the workshops offered, and prizes that combine technology and books all suggest that this initiative will continue to thrive in future years.