Students in grades 7 to 12 from across Bulgaria can send poems to the 10th National "Unknown Streets" poetry competition until 31 October 2026, the organisers said.
The contest is run by Maria Mutafchieva, known as Mery, the publisher Znatsi and the Academician Nikola Obreshkov Mathematics High School in Burgas. It gives young poets from around the country a chance to show their work.
The theme is open. Each entrant sends three poems and names the one they think represents them best.
"We are curious what they think, what moves them, how they express themselves as they walk down the 'unknown streets' of creativity…", said Mutafchieva. She invited young people to share their thoughts with the organisers.
There are two categories: "Grades 7 to 9" and "Grades 10 to 12". The jury will pick the top three in each. Winners will get certificates from the school and Znatsi, and Mutafchieva is giving music and books as prizes. The winning poems will appear in the newspaper Chernomorski Far, and the authors will read them to an audience at the final.
The contest began in 2012, when Mutafchieva published her school poems in a collection. The book is named after the best-known song by the Mery Boys Band, "Unknown Streets". The song turns 25 this year.
Mutafchieva says the contest now has a history of its own and that dozens of young people have had a chance to develop their talent through it. "We believe in the talent of young people who still write poetry in the 21st century and share their thoughts with the blank page and the world!" she said.
Milena Andonova, head of the Academician Nikola Obreshkov high school in Burgas, and Rumyana Emanuilidu, a journalist and publisher, have been involved in the project from the start.
Entries opened on 1 October. The rules and how to send poems are on the school's website: https://pmgbs.com/mery/