JSKD and MENTOR Magazine
are announcing
the 47th literary competition
“NEIGHBOUR OF YOUR SHORE 2025”
It is aimed at all writers who, regardless of their citizenship – permanent or temporary (for a minimum of one year) live in Slovenia and write in their native language (not Slovene). The competition is open to all writers over the age of 15 years.
We are soon going to celebrate five decades of creative encounters between individuals who live in Slovenia and write in their native language. Their works enrich the Slovenian cultural space with a range of world languages and creative poetics, both of which help us connect interculturally. From the very beginning of this project we have continuously held live gatherings and workshops in various parts of Slovenia. We are determined to continue with the organisation of in person gatherings in the future, as communication and personal contacts lead to deeper social coexistence and satisfaction. We will also keep maintaining relations with writers who remain too far away to join us in person due to their physical distance through online applications and publications in the magazine Paralele.
In 2025, we are planning an introductory reading on International Mother Language Day (21st February), in the Atrium of ZRC, Novi trg 2, in Ljubljana. For this reading we are planning to cooperate with the Slovenian Migration Institute at ZRC SAZU, while the final national meeting in Koper will take place as part of the Amateur Culture Week.
We would like to invite you to participate in our event and continue spreading the word about the competition and encourage your neighbours, family members, acquaintances, relatives, friends, writers, musicians, and various creative people who believe they could be a part of the broad intercultural, connecting, and empathetic creative group of writers and poets from all over the world to participate.
The national NEIGHBOUR OF YOUR SHORE 2025 gathering will take place in Koper on Saturday, 31st May 2025, in cooperation with the JSKD Koper regional branch and colleagues Mateja Palčič Puzzer and Jesenka Korenč. All writers who will send their application to the event will be invited to a morning conversation with professional associates and mentors of creative writing workshops, Lidija Dimkovska (poet, writer, researcher ...) and Barbara Korun (poet mentor, editor ...). This will be followed by an interesting accompanying program and a tour of the cultural attractions in the port of Koper. The aim of this competition is to socialize, exchange literary experiences, present new books, and read literary works. We will send you the exact program once the registration process has been completed.
The closing literary event will take place at 6 pm, and will include a presentation of all writers and selected texts in different languages. The event will be accompanied by music and end with an awards ceremony. We will highlight the long-time Neighbours as well as those who have joined us for the first time.
TEXTS
The competition is open to prose or dramatic texts - up to 7 pages (excerpts from longer texts are also possible) and poetry - up to 5 poems. Attached translations into Slovenian are highly desirable, but not a requirement. We expect only proofread and edited texts that have not yet been published in book form. Texts should be written in Word, font size 11, left alignment, single spacing, without additional formatting or photographs.
Every application should be marked with a personal code, while your personal data should be entered in the e-application (personal code, your first and last name, home address, year of birth, education or profession, telephone number, e-mail address, language of the text – as well as book news of the registered authors if applicable (with cover and short content)). The data will be used solely for the purposes of this competition. The writers who submit their texts agree for them to be published without being reimbursed.
APPLICATION
Writers should submit their texts by the end of March – by Monday, 31st March, 2025, in the original (i.e. not in Slovenian!!!) language, in the form of an electronic application for Neighbour of Your Shore 2025.
or at:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1h2QgzVllFp59Et5e8EROBdL4CCkIrc1u9Db-TXYCfRA/preview
Please attach a short literary biography for publication and for your presentation at the final literary evening (approximately 300 words). Applications can be submitted solely via the online application form.
INTRODUCTORY READING AT THE INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY
As an introduction to socializing and promoting the competition, we invite writers to read their texts on Friday, 21st February 2025, at 6 pm, in ZRC Atrium, Novi trg 2, Ljubljana. This event will take place in cooperation with the Slovenian Migration Institute of ZRC SAZU, with which we will honour UNESCO's International Mother Language Day (21st February). The event will be moderated by Marijanca Ajša Vižintin, PhD, a research associate at the institute and the co-editor of the scientific journal Dve domovini/Two Homelands.
Slovenian Migration Institute (SMI) at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) is involved in interdisciplinary research of international migration. Researchers are focused on emigration and immigration issues, analyses of return migration, ethnicity, migration and integration processes and policies, cultural-artistic production of migrants and different methodological and theoretical research approaches to migration. Their work draws on a number of social science and humanities disciplines.
Please confirm your initial participation in the online application or by email: mentor@jskd.si by the end of January - by Friday, 31st January 2025!
We are looking forward to hearing your comments, suggestions and wishes! Best wishes to all!
Editorial Board of the Mentor Magazine and
JSKD Literary Activities
mentor@jskd.si
