The II Nationwide Poetry Festival for children aged 6 to 17 will kick off in Odesa on October 20, 2024.

Participants can submit their works by filling out the application form. The submitted works will be published on the festival's website and in the media. The jury will select winners and notable works for inclusion in a final anthology. Winners will receive cash prizes and an invitation to the festival's gala concert.

This festival aims to nurture children's creativity in poetry and integrate participants into the literary community of Odesa and Ukraine. During the festival, workshops and meetings with renowned writers will be held.

Participation in the competition is free.

A press conference will take place on October 18, 2024, at 5:00 PM at Children’s Library No. 26, located at: K. Muratova St. (L. Tolstoy), 13.

This project is initiated by poet Illya Kaminsky (USA) in partnership with Odesa - UNESCO City of Literature, the Children’s Library System of Odesa, the Children’s Literature Section of the Odesa Organization of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine, and the newspaper Vechirnya Odesa. The event is supported by the Department of Culture and International Cooperation of the Odesa City Council.

......

The main goal of the "New Odyssey" festival is to discover and encourage poetically gifted students who can share heartfelt thoughts that inspire and provoke reflection.

Writing down thoughts on paper allows individuals to find relief and escape from excessive worries. This skill is especially crucial for Ukrainian children enduring the horrors of war.

The long-term goal of the organizing committee for the "New Odyssey" festival is to foster a talented, kind-hearted, and creative generation that engages with the world through poetry.