Ahead of the 14th edition of the International Poetry Competition Castello Di Duino has called for submission of poems from young writers, of up to 30 years of age, written originally in all languages for the competition coming up in Italy.
The competition, which has the patronage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Italian Commission and Italian Foreign Office, is a Cultural Project organised to evaluate the poetic prowess of young people across the globe.
According to a correspondence between the UNESCO Headquarters, Paris and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, which was made available to the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), for further information dissemination, the competition has as theme, “HOME/CASA”.
The correspondence further explains that, “Home/Casa” are English and Italian words, respectively, that indicates the physical or metaphorical place from which one goes to and returns with memories, customs, affections, country and homeland, being a sanctuary for the soul.
The world languages utilise many different words to indicate the idea of “Home/Casa”, according to histories and identities of the people; and languages and poetry too are, sometimes, “Casa/ Home”: sanctuary for the soul.
The competition which is thematic, is scheduled to hold in three sections with candidates free to participate in more than one section. (See http://home.castelloduinopoesia.org/bandi-stranieri/)
In the first section which is for “Unpublished Poems”, authors are required to send only one unpublished, never prized poem each, written in their mother tongue accompanied with a translation in English, Spanish, French or Italian, with a maximum of 40 lines.
Works in this category are expected to be submitted preferably by email to castelloduinopoesia@gmail.com on or before 31st October, 2017 with completed application form and the poem attached to the message in word or rft format.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for this section will be €500 each; while the poems of winners and a selection of the best poems will be published for free by Ibiskos Publishing House, Risolo, in both Italian and English versions together with a DVD in the original languages.
For the second section, authors are to present one unpublished and never prized dramatic work (Monologue or Dialogue between two (2) people) with a maximum of five (5) pages and not more than 10,000 characters; while a good translation into Italian is unconditionally required, candidates are to note that their works will not be evaluated in their original language but in the Italian translations and must be submitted on or before 30th November, 2017. (Entries to be forwarded via castelloduinopoesia@gmail.com).
In this category, the jury will designate three (3) winners (who will be awarded cups and plates) as well as select other dramas of special worth; while the best dramas will be performed in an important city theatre within the prize giving ceremony events.
Meanwhile, the third section which dwells on schools projects is designed to have the jury designating the best poetry-projects presented as a collective work by schools (students and teachers).
Here, the 1st prize is €500, which will have to be devoted to a humanitarian scope chosen by the awarded students and teachers; and it is also to be prized or considered as noteworthy schools or group, as a whole day of readings and performance is reserved for them in an important location, where the students will have the opportunity to read their poems and teachers to explain their projects.
The statement added that this category is requested to send their projects by regular mail to Prof. Gabriella Gruber, Via Matteoti 21, 34138, Trieste (Italy); and that while there will be consideration of postmark, no project which arrives after the jury may have started its evaluation process will be accepted.
Caleb Nor
Media Assistant to ES
NICO HQ, Abuja-FCT