This year too, Rewilding Apennines renews its commitment to running its international literary competition: a space where writing becomes a tool to tell the story of nature, the restoration of ecosystems and the benefits that rewilding brings to people as well.
After the first two editions, in 2024 and 2025, the theme chosen by Rewilding Apennines for this third edition is broad and timely: “stories of coexistence”.
The relationship between human beings and the nature around them runs through the daily life of each of us. It is an ancient and shifting relationship, shaped on both an individual and a collective level by many factors: geographies, traditions, cultures, demographics, economies, religions and beliefs. To these, others are now added: a changing climate, pollution, the spread of technologies, the growing weight of Homo sapiens on natural resources. How much of the space occupied by human communities can be shared with wild ones? How much tolerance can we develop towards other species? What are we willing to accept of their ecological needs, and what sacrifices are we prepared to make in order to share the same landscape? These are questions as old as literature itself, and they open onto manifold answers: as many as the facets of coexistence.
Short stories
The work sought is a short story, in Italian or English, on the theme described above, of no more than 3 pages, A4 format, font size 12, 1.5 line spacing, in Times New Roman.
Entries should reach Rewilding Apennines by writing to info@rewilding-apennines.com, by 2 August 2026 at the latest (the date the email is received will be taken as valid).
The stories from the first edition of the competition were collected in a publication – Wild Tales – produced by Rewilding Apennines and published by Menabò, which can be purchased by writing to info@rewilding-apennines.com. Those from the second edition are currently being published with the same publishing house and will be available in late summer. The modest proceeds will go towards the association’s work to protect and restore ecosystems.
RULES OF PARTICIPATION
Art. 1 – The competition is international in scope and open to all. Members of the board of directors and staff of Rewilding Apennines ETS and Rewilding Europe are excluded.
Art. 2 – Participants may submit a maximum of two stories. Entries must be unpublished and in Italian or English. Participation is free of charge.
Art. 3 – Authors of other nationalities may take part, subject to the conditions of the previous article.
Art. 4 – Stories must be sent by email to info@rewilding-apennines.com by midnight on 2 August 2026, providing the author’s personal details and a statement accepting the conditions of these rules of participation.
Art. 5 – By entering the competition, the participant declares that:
- the work is their own and unpublished, releasing Rewilding Apennines from any possible dispute, including from third parties;
- they accept all the rules set out in the competition call;
- they authorise the use
- a) of personal data pursuant to Legislative Decree 196/2003 on privacy protection;
- b) of the submitted works for purposes connected with the event.
Art. 6 – Participation does not imply the transfer of copyright. All texts may be reproduced in informational and promotional materials, at cultural events and so on, or on the association’s social media channels, subject to the author’s authorisation. Submitted works will not be returned.
Art. 7 – Cash prizes must be collected in person. Proxies are permitted only for participants resident abroad.
Art. 8 – For organisational reasons, attendance at the award ceremony is compulsory, whether in person or by proxy, and must be confirmed at least 10 days before the date of the ceremony, which will be held on 30 August 2026, at a location in the central Apennines to be announced in due course.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
The top three entries will be awarded as follows:
- 1st place: prize of €400.00 + plaque
- 2nd place: prize of €200.00 + plaque
- 3rd place: prize of €100.00 + plaque
The award ceremony will take place on 30 August 2026 at a location in the central Apennines, to be announced by 17 August 2025.
The three top-placed works will be read aloud during the award ceremony.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS
The outcome of the competition will be published on the Rewilding Apennines website and on the Association’s social media channels. The winners will be notified at least fifteen days before the ceremony.
JURY
The competition jury is made up of:
- Mario Cipollone, Team Leader of Rewilding Apennines and author of several works of fiction.
- Angela Tavone, Communications Manager of Rewilding Apennines.
- Daniela Gentile, Communications Officer of Rewilding Apennines.
The jury’s decision is final. For further information or clarification, write to info@rewilding-apennines.com.
Participants are advised not to wait until the last few days to submit their works.
