CAMAGÜEY.— Literary creation among children and adolescents continues to show encouraging results in Camagüey, judging by the quality of the works recently evaluated within the province’s network of Houses of Culture.
A total of 65 poetry and fiction entries were assessed, representing most of Camagüey’s municipalities and featuring students from both primary and lower secondary schools.
The process highlighted the work being carried out by literary workshops and cultural advisors across the province—spaces where a love of reading, writing, and artistic expression is nurtured from an early age.
The evaluation was conducted by writers, cultural promoters, and specialists connected to the province’s literary movement. The primary-school poetry and fiction jury was composed of Edelmira Rodríguez, Aymara Miranda, and Griselda Rodríguez. The secondary-school poetry panel included Yunexis Nobalbo, Juan Miguel Castillo, and Odelaisy García, while Evelin Queipo, Yoandra Santana, and Yanetsy León were responsible for assessing the secondary-school fiction entries.
Juan Miguel Castillo, provincial literature coordinator, underscored the importance of preserving these spaces for artistic development. He noted that it is gratifying to see the province’s literary workshops remain active and supported by advisors committed to teaching children and adolescents the craft of storytelling and verse.
“They are the next generation of the writers we have today at Ácana Publishing House,” he said, referring to the young creators beginning their journey into literature.
The jury’s assessments also offered insight into the concerns and interests shaping the perspectives of younger generations. Writer Yunexis Nobalbo pointed out that literary workshops are a valuable tool for strengthening cultural identity, promoting the proper use of language, and fostering human values in a context marked by multiple cultural influences.
Writer Edelmira Rodríguez, meanwhile, praised the level achieved by the participants. Among the themes explored in the submissions, she highlighted environmental protection, family bonds, concerns related to the excessive use of technology, and the defense of values such as humility and solidarity.
She also noted the strong command of spelling and grammar demonstrated in many of the works and described it as encouraging to find authors as young as ten and eleven engaging thoughtfully with issues that are very much part of contemporary life.
Traditional metrical forms and rhymed verse dominated the poetry submissions, while the short-short story emerged as one of the most widely practiced forms in the fiction category.
Odelaisy García, provincial literature specialist, reported that Camagüey currently has 18 literary advisors working throughout its municipalities. She added that the provincial evaluation followed earlier rounds conducted in each territory and announced that the provincial gathering of adult workshop participants is scheduled for October.
The results reflected particularly strong performances from several municipalities. Camagüey and Sibanicú earned the highest number of distinctions, with award-winning participants represented across multiple categories and educational levels.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez