The time to deliberate is over: we already know the regional winners of the 61st edition of the Coca-Cola Young Talents Short Story Contest. The contest’s jury, made up of literary critics, has chosen the best young storytellers from each region, who are now moving on to the national phase of the contest.
In the case of the Canary Islands, Mirella Prada, from the Pious Schools of Tenerife, has won the award for the best story in her Community, while Sofía Esteban, from the International French School of Gran Canaria, has been the provincial winner of the Gran Canarian palms. In this edition, 422 students from 2nd year of ESO have participated in the Canary Islands in the Written Tests held on March 10, 11 and 12 throughout the country in digital form.
This year, for the first time, the Contest increased the number of students that could participate per class to five, which made this edition the most diverse and inclusive in its history. The youth response? 12,623 participants have accepted the challenge of Coca-Cola and have faced the ‘blank page’, without limitation of style and with the option of writing their story in Spanish, Basque, Catalan, Galician and Balearic. So that their texts were the most faithful reflection of their stories, their concerns, their look to the future and their talent.
The newly selected regional winners will enjoy a Creative Immersion Program at the end of June, an experience that will foster coexistence among the regional winners, with activities related to literature and creativity designed exclusively for them. As a final touch, the gala will be held in which we will know the names of the national winners.
Luis Piedrahita, master of ceremonies of the regional gala
The regional winners have been announced at an online gala conducted by the magician Luis Piedrahita that the participants could enjoy from their schools, sharing with their classmates the moment of discovering if their names were among the winners.
The Young Talent Contest is framed within the Coca-Cola’s commitment to creating unforgettable experiences for young people. With each new edition of the contest, for which more than 12 million young people have already participated, the participants surprise with their imagination, creativity and sincerity and with their stories they offer a social and cultural photograph of our country and our time.