Alcalá de Henares launches the 41st Cervantes Competition for young writers in Madrid

Alcalá de Henares City Council has launched the 41st edition of the ‘Cervantes’ Children’s and Youth Literary Competition, an event now firmly established in Madrid’s educational calendar. This year, the call extends to Primary, Secondary and Basic Vocational Training students from any school in the Community of Madrid, not only from the city of Alcalá.

The deadline for submitting original stories will be open until 27 February 2026 at 14:00. Participants may compete in five categories, organised by school year: from Year 1 of Primary to Year 4 of Compulsory Secondary Education and Basic Vocational Training. Each group will have its own cash prize, and the Equality Department will recognise texts addressing equal opportunities for men and women with additional awards.

The winning stories will be published in a book edited by the Education Department, which is an extra incentive for young writers. The jury will assess aspects such as originality, coherence, vocabulary, spelling and narrative structure, as well as compliance with the rules.

Works may be sent either by post to the Department of Education and University (calle Santiago, 20. 28801) or by email to [email protected]. The full rules are available on the Alcalá de Henares municipal website.