Call for Entries to the 2026 Dinosaur Short Story Contest

The Onelio Jorge Cardoso Literary Training Center invites all writers in the country, over 18 years of age, to participate in the 2026 Dinosaur Short Story Contest.

Participants may submit only one unpublished short story. Which must not be under any publishing agreement, in Cuba or abroad, nor entered in any other contest.

The short story must be submitted in a Word document and must not exceed 20 lines. In 12-point Arial font, double-spaced, and identified with a pseudonym.

Applicants must also submit a separate document. Identified with the same pseudonym and the title of the short story. Containing the author’s information: full name, home address, and telephone number. Entries must be submitted by January 7th, 2026, to the email address concursos.centronelio@gmail.com with the subject line: DINOSAUR CONTEST 2026.

The jury, composed of prominent writers, will award a Grand Prize and Collateral Prizes, including the Hermanos Saíz Association Prize. The Gente Nueva Publishing House Prize for the best short story on a children’s/young adult theme. And the UNEAC Writers’ Association Prize for the best short story on an artistic/literary theme.

According to the official announcement, the winning, honorable mention, and finalist short stories will be included in the 2026 Dinosaur Short Story Anthology, which will be published in digital format.

The contest’s organizing committee announced that the awards ceremony will be held in February 2026, during the 34th Havana International Book Fair.

By: Melissa Laura del Cerro Figueredo