The “Francisco de Quevedo” Literary Society of Villanueva de los Infantes has announced the call for entries for the 44th International Poetry Contest, a well-established event on the literary scene that brings together poets from Spain and around the world.

The contest features three categories of participation with the following awards:

“D. Francisco de Quevedo”Prize: Investiture as Grand Commander of the “Fco. de Quevedo” Literary Order, presentation of a parchment, and a cash prize of 900 euros.
Open Theme Award (dedicated to the poet Rafael Simarro): Investiture as Commander, a scroll, and 600 euros.
“El Buscón” Prize (open theme, for young people under 30): Investiture as Knight, a scroll, and 300 euros.

The prizes are funded by the Municipality of Villanueva de los Infantes and are subject to applicable tax withholdings.

The contest is open to writers of any nationality, provided they submit original and unpublished works in the Spanish language. The deadline for submitting entries is June 12, 2026, and will not be extended.

Entries must be between 28 and 60 lines in length, with free meter, and may be submitted either by mail or electronically. In both cases, a sealed envelope system will be used to ensure anonymity, and must include a sworn statement certifying that the work is the product of human authorship and has not been created using artificial intelligence.

The themes will focus on:

The life and work of Francisco de Quevedo
Open topic
Open topic (youth category)

The jury will notify the winners and the media of the decision well in advance. The winning authors must attend—or send a representative—the investiture and awards ceremony, which will be held in the Cloister of the Convent of Santo Domingo in Villanueva de los Infantes, following 17th-century ceremonial traditions, on a date to be confirmed in the last week of August 2026.

For more information and to submit entries:

Email: ordendequevedo@gmail.com

Mailing address: “Quevedo” Municipal Public Library, former Alhóndiga, C/ Gral. Pérez Ballesteros, 1, 13320 Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real).