Giving prominence to Venetian emigration. A phenomenon of fundamental importance in the past and present of our region and yet little known, almost forgotten. That is why the Associazione Bellunesi nel Mondo has decided to announce a literary contest on the subject.

Entitled "Raccontare l'emigrazione veneta," it is dedicated to unpublished and original short stories, real or fictional, in the Italian language, having as its theme, precisely, emigration from Veneto, both historical and current. Participation, which is free of charge, is open to anyone at least sixteen years old (must be born by December 31, 2006), wherever they reside (in Italy or abroad).

Each author may participate with one short story, which must have a minimum of 10 thousand and a maximum of 25 thousand characters, including spaces. The deadline for submissions, to be sent by email to [email protected], is November 4, 2022.

A jury will select ten finalist stories by November 25, and from these ten will choose the top three, whose authors will receive a cash prize: 500 euros to the first, 300 to the second, 200 to the third. The finalist entries will be published in a book published by Associazione Bellunesi nel Mondo.

The award ceremony, during which the final ranking will be revealed, will be held on December 17 in Belluno.

"That of emigration," comments Oscar De Bona, president of Bellunesi nel Mondo, "is a fundamental trait of our history, if we think that in a century, from 1876 to 1976, more than 26 million people expatriated from Italy, and from Veneto more than 3 million, so much so that our region was the main land of departures in the so-called forty years of the 'Great Emigration' of the period 1876-1915, when 1 million 882 thousand of our fellow countrymen left.

A true epic that has shaped the economy, society, culture and shaped our identity. And that continues to do so. Because emigration," De Bona continues, "is not just a matter of the past. We still see its effects every year in the ever-increasing numbers of new youth mobility, certainly different from that of past centuries, but no less important. And in the many communities of Veneto origin scattered around the world that still maintain strong ties to the land of their ancestors. This is why we decided to announce this first edition of the contest, convinced that precisely the story, whether it is a transposition of events that really happened or the result of creativity and imagination, represents a useful tool through which to learn about and explore a topic that has had and continues to have great weight in economic and socio-cultural dynamics but little resonance and too little prominence."

The full call for entries for the competition, including how to participate, is available HERE.

For more information, it is also possible to contact the Associazione Bellunesi nel Mondo office at the following numbers: tel. 0437 941160; email: [email protected].