Voices Across the Sea: Young Writers Invited to Shape the Mediterranean’s Future
14 April 2025 | Corporate news
Call for Submissions: 17th Edition of “A Sea of Words” Literary Contest Now Open
The European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), in collaboration with the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), has officially launched the 17th edition of A Sea of Words, the international creative writing contest that invites young voices from across Europe and the Mediterranean to share their stories and reimagine the future of the region.
The 2025 edition, themed “The Mediterranean We Envision,” calls for original short stories reflecting on the challenges and opportunities shaping the Mediterranean today.
Launched in 2008, the contest provides a unique platform for individuals aged 18 to 30 to express their experiences, aspirations, and cultural richness through storytelling. Whether fictional or rooted in personal experience, the submitted works aim to foster dialogue, celebrate diversity, and inspire new narratives of peace, democracy, and cooperation in an increasingly polarized world.
An international jury of Mediterranean authors will select ten finalists who will be invited to Barcelona for the award ceremony in September 2025. In addition to receiving recognition, the finalists’ stories will be published in a multilingual anthology. During their stay, participants will also engage in discussions with established writers, exploring the role of literature in driving social change and intercultural understanding.
This edition is organized within the framework of Mondiacult 2025, the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, and has the support of the Spanish Agency of Cooperation and Development (AECID), the Union for the Mediterranean and the Catalan government.
Deadline
Aspiring storytellers from any of the 43 Euro-Mediterranean countries are encouraged to submit their entries by May 31, 2025.
The full call, including eligibility details and submission guidelines, can be found at www.iemed.org/seaofwords2025