La Victoria de Acentejo Launches Second Annual Elsa Hernández Baute Poetry Contest with AI Ban

Local literature is back in the spotlight in northern Tenerife. The La Victoria de Acentejo City Council’s Department of Culture has officially opened submissions for the second annual poetry contest honoring the late writer Elsa Hernández Baute. The competition aims to celebrate her legacy while encouraging new lyrical talent across the Spanish-speaking world. Notably, this year’s rules include a modern requirement: all entries must be written without the use of artificial intelligence.

The deadline for entries is 2:00 p.m. on September 18. Applicants must be adults and may submit one original, unpublished poem in Spanish, between 50 and 100 lines long. To ensure fairness, the contest prohibits entries from the honoree’s direct relatives, members of the jury, or previous winners.

The contest offers three awards: a first prize of 500 euros, a second prize of 250 euros, and a 150-euro prize for the best recitation. The recitation award can be won in addition to the main prizes. Performance is a key part of the competition, as finalists are required to recite their work on October 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the municipal Plenary Hall or an alternative venue designated by the council.

To enter, participants must submit their work to the La Victoria de Acentejo City Council Registry, either in person or by certified mail to the municipal office in the Plaza de la Iglesia. Please note that the council considers the date of receipt, not the date of mailing, as the official submission date. Full contest rules and legal requirements are available on the municipal website.