He Cultural Institute of the province of Buenos Airesthrough the Provincial Directorate for the Promotion of Readinghas launched the First Poetry Contest Nestor Perlongheraddressed to Buenos Aires poets. This contest aims to encourage contemporary voices and promote expressions poetics that enrich the identity of Buenos Aires. Registrations are already open open until August 31 and can be done online.
Diana Bellessi, Sergio Raimondi and Roberta Iannamico They will make up the jury that will select the winning works. The chosen poems will be published by Ediciones Bonaerensesthe provincial government’s publishing house. The results will be announced October 4 and the awards ceremony will take place on a date to be defined. Prizes include 500,000 pesos for first place, 350,000 pesos for the second and 200,000 pesos For the third, in addition to the publication of the works in Ediciones Bonaerenses, special mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the jury.
The contest is open to people over 16 years old who were born in the province of Buenos Aires or have lived there for at least five years. Each participant may submit only one work on a free theme, which must not have won an award or be in the process of being evaluated in another competition.
This initiative is part of the Buenos Aires Plan to Strengthen Books and Reading 2024, aimed at increasing interest and participation in reading and writing in the province. In this area, the Second edition of the Buenos Aires Poetry Festivalwhich will take place in October at the Provincial Center for the Arts Argentine Theater from La Plata.
The purpose of the festival is to make visible the diversity and richness of Buenos Aires’ poetic production and will feature the participation of different groups, projects and collectives linked to reading, writing, publishing and art in general. “Poetry is one of the fundamental expressions of the entire territory”say the Buenos Aires Cultural Institute. This festival will include talks, readings, tributes, workshops and a fair of independent publishers.
He Buenos Aires Book Strengthening Plan and the Reading reinforces the importance of poetry in local culture, highlighting relevant figures such as Aurora Venturini, Francisco López Merino, Alejandra Pizarnik and Ana Emilia Lahitteamong others. Nestor Perlongher, an emblematic figure in this area, is honored through this contest. Perlongher, born in Avellaneda in 1949 and died in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1992, was a poet, writer, journalist, sociologist and LGBT activist. The name of the contest is a tribute to his literary legacy and activism.
In its first edition in 2023, the Buenos Aires Poetry Festival brought together more than 100 poets Buenos Aires with activities that included performances, musical shows and workshops for children. The Cultural Institute hopes to repeat and expand the success in its second edition, thus strengthening the poetic and literary community of the province.
The rules and conditions of the Néstor Perlongher Poetry Contest are available for consultation and must be reviewed before registration. Doubts and queries may also be directed to the same email address indicated for the presentation of works.
With this series of activities, the province of Buenos Aires seeks to reaffirm its commitment to promoting culture and supporting new talentsThe competition and festival are presented as spaces that not only celebrate the poetic tradition of Buenos Aires but also open new opportunities for emerging voices.
