The Greek Cultural Organization Nostos, based in Buenos Aires, under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy, announces a global literary competition inspired by Maria Kallas.

This year marks the centenary of the birth of Maria Callas, whose voice enchanted the whole world, and on this occasion, Nostos invites you to a competition to revive the magic of «the ultimate diva among divas».

«Maria Callas - My thoughts and my blood are Greek» is a competition open to writers of any nationality, over 18 years old, with a single work in Spanish, Greek, English, Portuguese or Italian.

The theme of the competition is «100 years of Maria Callas» and the deadline for the submission of original works is 30 September 2023.

The winners will be announced at the end of November 2023, while the venue and date of the academic ceremony for the awards will be announced in due course.

In detail, the conditions of participation in the competition also provide for the following:

Each author is entitled to participate with only one work. Works must be original, unpublished, not reproduce all or part of another work and not have been awarded a prize in another competition. Two types of texts will be accepted: a poem and a short essay.
The poems must be at least 50 and no more than 100 lines long, written on a computer, A4 page size, Times New Roman font, font size 12, single-spaced and PDF file type.
For short essays, the following is specified: the writing of not exclusively academic essays is not requested, but essays of any kind that, using different linguistic tools and means of expression, highlight different perspectives for the analysis, evaluation or interpretation of the topic in a different context, depending on the possibilities that each type of essay offers for the analysis, development and reflection of the topic. For example, reflective essays, essays on the free expression of subjective opinion, narrative and descriptive essays, informative and journalistic essays, etc. are accepted. (or, more generally, essays belonging to the category commonly known as “non-fiction”). In this case, the texts to be submitted must be a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 single-sided A4 pages, written on a computer, in Times New Roman font, font size 12, single-spaced and in PDF format.
Original works should be signed under a pseudonym and sent by email to the following address: callas@nostos.org.ar. In the same message it is necessary to attach: 3 (three) files with the following specifications.
A file (pdf) of the work with the pseudonym under which the author submits his/her work.
One file (pdf) with the application form, entitled «Plica» and accompanied by the author's pseudonym.
A file (pdf) with a short biographical note of the author with the following initials «C.V.» accompanied by the author's pseudonym.
The judges who will evaluate the works submitted to the Competition will be appointed by the Greek Cultural Organization Nostos. The jury will consist of a single number of judges, in order to exclude the possibility of a tie and to ensure transparency in the final ranking of the contestants and the awarding of each prize. The Competition will be conducted by five juries, one for each language (Spanish, Greek, English, Portuguese, Italian and Greek), composed of world-renowned literary and literary figures.
The Hellenic Cultural Organization Nostos (hereinafter: «Organizer») reserves the right to publish the texts submitted to the Contest (either in whole or in part), regardless of whether they are awarded or not, as well as the right to manage them in the way it considers most appropriate for the achievement of the Contest's objectives.
Participation in this Contest implies acceptance of its terms and conditions. The Promoter is authorised to resolve in the manner it considers most appropriate any impediment not provided for within the conditions of participation. Once the works have been sent to the Competition the author will not be able to delete the work or modify anything in it until the end of the Competition. If for any reason the author wishes to withdraw from the Contest, he/she must inform the Organiser by sending an email to the following address: callas@nostos.org.ar
The prize may not be awarded if the conditions set by the jury are not met.
Awards: Awards: Prizes will be awarded to the winners as follows: three Grand Prizes (First, Second and Third) will be awarded for each category of entry. First Prize: The author will receive a diploma. Second and Third Prize: The author will receive a diploma.