National Poetry Competition "Unknown Streets" 2025: Participate and Win!

It's time again for the National Poetry Competition "Unknown Streets"! Its ninth edition will be held in the period October 1 - November 30, 2025. Dozens of poems have already been received from Stara Zagora, Kocherinovo, Karnobat, Svishtov, Kyustendil, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv, Popovo, Burgas and Sofia. We are expecting yours too!

How to participate?

• Participants must send three of their poems, from which they should indicate one preferred one, which they think represents them best!
• The deadline for submitting the works is November 30, 2025.
• Jury consisting of: Maria Mutafchieva, Milena Andonova and Rumyana Emanuilidu.

Categories and awards

• The first three will be awarded in the categories: "From VII to IX grade" and "From X to XII grade".
• The selected works will be published in the newspaper "Chernomorski Far".
• The authors will receive certificates and prizes from PPMH "Acad. Nikola Obreshkov" and Publishing House "Znatsi", music and books from Mary Boys Bend.
• The final of the competition will be on December 9, 2025 (Tuesday), from 4 p.m., at the stand of the Publishing House "Znatsi" at the Book Fair in NDK, Sofia.
• The authors will also have the opportunity to read them in person to the audience at the final.

History of the competition

The National Poetry Competition "Unknown Streets" began in 2012. Maria Mutafchieva published her own student poems in a collection of poems bearing the name of the most popular song by Mary Boys Band - "Unknown Streets". Next to her, in the idea for a poetry competition for students from all over the country stand: Milena Andonova - director of the Mathematics High School in Burgas and Rumyana Emanuilidu - journalist and publisher.

Mary shares: “We believe in the talent of young people who, even in the 21st century, create poetry and share their thoughts with the white sheet and with the world! We are curious what they think, what excites them, how they express themselves, walking on the "unknown streets" of creativity... Share your thoughts with us!”