II National Poetry Festival and Contest for Youth

The II National Poetry Festival and Contest 'New Odyssey' for children aged 6 to 17 will kick off on October 20, 2024, in Odesa.

Participants can submit their works by filling out the application form at this link. All received submissions will be published on the festival's electronic resource and in the media. A jury will select winners and the best works for further publication in a final anthology. Contest winners will receive cash prizes and participate in the festival's gala concert.

The festival aims to promote the creative potential of children in poetry writing and integrate participants into the literary community of Odesa and Ukraine. During the festival, workshops and meetings with writers will be held.

Participation in the contest is free of charge.

A press conference will take place on October 18, 2024, at 5:00 PM at the children's library No. 26, located at: K. Muratova St. (L. Tolstoy), 13.

The project is initiated by poet Ilya Kaminsky (USA), the 'Odesa - City of Literature UNESCO' office, the Central Library System for Children of Odesa, the children's literature section of the Odesa organization of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine, in partnership with the 'Vechirnia Odesa' newspaper. The event is supported by the Department of Culture, International Cooperation and European Integration of the Odesa City Council.

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The goal of the 'New Odyssey' festival is to discover and encourage poetically gifted students who can share sincere thoughts that resonate, provoke reflection, and inspire hearts.

Writing down thoughts on paper allows a person to feel relief and free themselves from excessive worry. This skill becomes a necessity, especially now when Ukrainian children are enduring the horrors of war.

The long-term goal set by the organizing committee of the 'New Odyssey' festival is to foster a talented, kind, and creative generation that perceives the world through poetry.