The Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation’s Literary Competition was founded in memory of Kaiti Laskaridou by the President of the Foundation’s Library, Marilena Laskaridou in 2000. Initially, only Secondary education students from Piraeus were eligible to apply. The massive response from students led to the inclusion of Secondary education students from the prefectures of Cyclades, Dodecanese, Ioannina, Arcadia, Argolis, Corinthia, Laconia, Messenia, Achaea, Elis, Evrytania and Phocis. Following an ad hoc meeting of the Literary Competition’s Panel of Judges on 24 September 2012, the competition was unanimously made national.
This competition’s main goal is to encourage self-expression among young people, as well as to enhance their study of Literature and Language in Secondary Education. For this reason, the Competition is fully supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Education.
For the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, liberated self-expression remains the primary objective. It is the Foundation’s contribution to young adults’ need to address the issues, concerns and questions they are faced with. This requires an individual journey toward self-realisation as achieved through reading, interacting with others and understanding this contest’s benefits for the candidates, schools and the larger social framework they operate in.
As such, adult intervention can only be limited and specific (i.e. reading suggestions) so as not to interfere with the immediacy and singularity of adolescent writing.
Secondary education students from all Greek schools are eligible to apply.
The Competition prizes are funded by the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation.
For the announcement of the 9th Literary Competition, click here (available only in Greek).
To read the stories of previous award winners, click here (available only in Greek).
