Writing Competition: Our Future

How do you envision the future?

Do you have an idea for a short story, a poem, a comic, or an essay about the future you dream of? This is your space. Submit your work by the 30th of August 2026!

RUYA, the regional magazine of the Goethe-Institut in the Arab speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa, invites young writers and artists to imagine the future they want to live in and express it creatively.

How to participate

Write a story, essay, a poem or create a comic or grafik novel about the world you wish to live in and send it as a PDF file with a maximum size of 5mb in an e-mail stating your name, age, nationality and where you live currently to ruya@goethe.de by the 30th of August 2026. 

If you are under the age of 18, please provide the full name of one legal guardian (for example mother or father) with his/her contact details (e-mail address and telefon number). 

Who can participate?

Open to young people aged 7–24 living in the Middle East and North Africa, in one of the listed countries below, as well as those from one of the listed countries that were displaced by crisis, conflict or war in the last 4 years and live currently outside of the region. 

Entries will be judged separately in three age groups:

• Children: 7–12 years
• Teenagers: 13–17 years
• Young Adults: 18–24 years

Submissions from the following countries are accepted: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Tunisia and the Palestinian Territories.

Accepted Formats

• Essays up to 1500 words
• Short stories up to 2500 words
• Graphic Novels up to 12 DIN A4 pages
• Comics up to 12 DIN A4 pages
• Poetry up to 1500 words

Please note, the work has to be written and created by yourself and needs to be an original. The use of AI is forbidden. 

Employees of the Goethe-Institut are excluded from participation.

Accepted Languages 

Entries may be submitted in Arabic, French, German or English. Please note, you have to submit in your native language. If none of the four languages mentioned is your native language you can choose one of the four freely. 

Selection process and prize

A jury composed of representatives from RUYA and the Goethe-Institut will review all submissions and select the entries that will be shortlisted.

The shortlisted works will be published on the RUYAs website for a public vote that will take place in September 2026 and will determine the 3 winners (one winner per age category). 

Winners will be announced through RUYAs and the participating Goethe-Institutes websites and social media channels.

The winners will receive aknowledgement in form of an official certificate and will get a follow paid assigment for RUYA. In addition, they each receive a one-year subscription to a selected platform of their choice. The winnings cannot be paid out in cash.

Do you have additional questions? Write us to ruya@goethe.de 

We are looking forward to your submissions!