Once again this year, science and literature merge in this tenth edition of the Inspiraciencia short story competition. The initiative, organised by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), with the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, invites participants, as indicated on its website, to «think and imagine science from the perspective of fiction». Thus, before 7 June, all those who wish to participate can submit their science-inspired stories in any of the official languages of the country.
The guidelines are simple: these science-based stories can be up to 800 words long and must be written in one of the aforementioned languages. Each participant may submit a maximum of four stories, provided each one is written in a differente language. These must be submitted under a pseudonym, to one of the two categories of the competition: young people (12 to 17 years old) or adults (18 years old or more).
In this edition, the award ceremony will return to its city of origin. The Residence for Researchers in Barcelona will host the X Inspiraciencia awards ceremony, which is expected to take place in the coming months. The authors of the chosen stories in each language and category will have the chance to obtain awards such as writing courses in prestigious schools, electronic books, or journal subscriptions.
This initiative involves not only an interdisciplinary approach, but also a transversal collaboration with different scientific and cultural institutions. Among them is the journal Mètode, which will publish the winning stories in Spanish and Catalan in the youth category. The winners in these categories will also receive a free subscription to the journal for one year. The project, promoted by the CSIC Delegation in Catalonia, is also supported by the CSIC delegations in Andalusia, Aragon, Galicia, the Balearic Islands, Madrid, and Valencia, as well as by numerous institutes and entities.