Ministries of Culture and Youth launch Young Literature Award 2025

Santo Domingo. – The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Youth announced this Monday the opening of the Annual Young Literature Award 2025, a call for Dominican writers between 18 and 35 years old, both residents in the country and abroad. The initiative was formalized through a resolution signed by the heads of both institutions, Roberto Ángel Salcedo and Carlos Valdez, with the aim of stimulating literary creation among young people and strengthening the projection of national talent.

Under the protection of Decree 323-24, the contest will award unpublished works in the categories of poetry, short story, novel, and essay, granting 100 thousand pesos and a diploma to each winner. In addition, one of the works will be selected to receive the Grand Prize, which includes 150 thousand pesos and a laptop, in recognition of its literary quality, originality, and coherence with Dominican cultural values.

The winning works will be published by the National Publishing House in print format, with print runs ranging from 300 to 2,000 copies. First edition rights will belong to both ministries for a period of three years.

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The text reception process will be open from June 16 to August 12, 2025, while the verdict will be announced on October 21 and the awards ceremony will be held on November 12. Interested parties must register through an online form available on the official Culture and Youth portals. The works must be submitted under a pseudonym, in printed format, and also digitally in the case of authors residing abroad. Each genre has a specific extension: poetry (40–100 pages), short story (50–110), and both novel and essay (60–120), in Arial font, size 12, 1.5 spacing and only on one side. An important new development is the prohibition of the use of artificial intelligence, in whole or in part, in the creation of texts, in order to preserve the authenticity of the creative process. The jury will be composed of writers, critics, and editors of recognized trajectory, who will evaluate the works with institutional independence, based on criteria of originality, depth, clarity, and language proficiency. For the Grand Prize, the ability to represent the cultural values of the country will also be considered. Winners must commit to participating in literary promotion activities, such as workshops, talks, and book fairs, thus promoting the link between emerging authors and readers. The organization of the award is in charge of the Vice Ministry of Cultural Identity and Citizenship, headed by Ramón Pastor de Moya, along with the Department of Literary Management. On behalf of the Ministry of Youth, the Directorate of Program Execution and Supervision coordinates. With this call, the State reaffirms its commitment to young creators and the consolidation of a dynamic, inclusive literary landscape connected to the national identity.