A New Chapter Begins for the Culture Without Border Poetry Contest
- Léa Caubert
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
After a third edition that brought together hundreds of participants from around the world, the Culture Without Border Poetry Contest is ready to begin a new chapter.
In 2026, we invite you to put pen to paper and explore a universal theme:
Mapping the Heart
A Journey That Grows Year After Year
The 2025 edition marked another important milestone for our Poetry Contest.
Participants from across several continents, schools, French Alliances, international institutions, passionate teachers, families, established poets, and emerging writers all helped make this third edition a remarkable success. Once again, poetry proved its unique ability to connect cultures, generations, and countries.
Today, that journey continues. We are delighted to announce the return of the Culture Without Border Poetry Contest for 2026. This new edition is more open than ever, staying true to our belief that the French language is a place where people meet, and that poetry knows no borders.
The Theme of the 2026 Poetry Contest
This year, we invite every participant to explore a very special kind of map. Not the one you find in an atlas. The one each of us carries within.
Mapping the Heart is an invitation to travel through our inner landscapes: the memories that shape us, the people who change us, the places that continue to live within us, the emotions that guide us, and the paths we choose to follow. There is no single way to approach this theme. Instead, it opens a space for creativity and personal expression. Every participant is free to interpret it in their own way, through their experiences, imagination, sensitivity, or unique perspective on the world.
A child may write about the place where they feel happiest. A teenager may explore questions of identity or dreams for the future. An adult may reflect on exile, love, memory, or the relationships that shape a lifetime. Every heart has its own map.
We can't wait to discover yours.
A Contest Open to Everyone
At its heart, the Poetry Contest is simply an invitation to write. It is open to children, teenagers, adults, schools, French Alliances, associations, and anyone who loves the French language, whether they are native speakers or learning it as a second language.
Every style is welcome : free verse, prose poetry, classical poetry, or contemporary forms. What matters most is not the structure of the poem, but the sincerity behind it. To ensure fairness, every poem is evaluated anonymously by an international jury. This commitment to artistic excellence, accessibility, and genuine human connection lies at the very heart of our contest.
Submissions open on September 9, 2026.
A Dedicated Patron: Marion Fritsch
We are especially pleased to continue this new edition and adventure alongside our patron, Marion Fritsch.
A novelist and poet, Marion supports the contest with generosity, kindness, and a deep sensitivity to the written word. Her vision of writing, profoundly human and deeply personal, perfectly reflects the spirit of this adventure: making poetry a place where people connect, share, and express themselves.
“L’écriture, c’est un espace.
Un espace où on te dit : tu peux écrire.
On va t’écouter. On va te lire.
Et ça, ça change tout.”
Marion Fritsch
Marraine du Concours de Poésie
Join Our International Jury
Behind every edition is a diverse team of jurors from many different backgrounds: teachers, writers, translators, artists, cultural professionals, and passionate readers. Their diversity is one of the contest's greatest strengths.
For this new edition, we hope to continue expanding our international jury. If you love poetry, Francophone literature, and would like to be part of this meaningful human adventure, we would be delighted to hear from you.
To join the jury, contact us at contact@culturewithoutborder.org
The Beginning for a great adventure
The Poetry Contest was born from a simple idea: to create a space where everyone can make their voice heard. Over the years, it has grown into an international event that brings together participants from every corner of the world, united by a shared language and a shared desire to create.
In 2026, a new chapter begins. Perhaps with your poem. Submissions open on September 9, 2026. Until then, explore this year's theme, read the competition guidelines, and find all the practical information on our website:
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