Determination and nostalgia win the 16th Story Writing Competition for Older Adults
‘Volar sin alas’, by María Luisa Hernández de la Mora, won first prize in the short story category, while “La invisible”, by María Loreto Perera García, was the winner in the micro-story category. The winner in the podcast category was ‘Cita previa’, by Salvador Santamaría Barrios.
A total of 5,183 works created by people over 60 from all over Spain were received, 46% more than last year: 3,498 stories, 1,522 micro-stories and 163 podcasts.
An elderly woman, marked by loss and war, relives her longing to fly. Facing the limitations of her age and with determination, she seeks to regain the freedom of her youth in a final act of defiance. This is the story of ‘Volar sin alas’, by María Luisa Hernández de la Mora (Aranjuez), the winning story in the 16th Story Writing Competition for Older Adults, organised by the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation together with Radio Nacional de España (RNE) and with the collaboration of La Vanguardia, in what has been an edition with a historic record of participation in all the categories.
In the micro-story category, the first prize went to ‘La invisible’, a vindictive text by María Loreto Perera García (Tenerife), and in the podcast category, ‘Cita previa’, a humorous narration created by Salvador Santamaría Barrios (Málaga), won the award. In addition to the first prizes awarded in the three categories, a runner-up prize was also awarded to the pódcast Ángeles, by Lourdes Ramírez Sevilla (Málaga).
In total, 5,183 works created by people over 60 from all over Spain were received: 3,498 stories, 1,522 micro-stories and 163 podcasts. With a 46% increase in participation compared to the previous year, this edition has broken an all-time record for participation.
Although the increase in participation has been notable in all categories, the growth of podcasts, a category that was launched just a year ago, stands out, with the number of works submitted having doubled. In addition, an increase has also been detected in terms of production quality, editing and use of sound effects.
The celebration of the 16th anniversary of the competition, which this year took place at CaixaForum Seville, culminated in a flamenco performance by the Alalá Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting children and young people at risk of social exclusion, helping them to build a more promising future. In addition, the trophies made by the Autisme Mascasadevall Foundation were presented: they consist of handmade pieces that allude to the figure of the bird, as an allegory of the competition's slogan ‘give wings to your imagination’, and have been made with fired ceramics and papier-mâché with texts of stories from previous editions.
The event was attended by Marc Simón, Deputy Director General of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, and Rocío Barragán, Director General for the Elderly of the Andalusian Regional Government. The 20 finalists travelled to the event to hear the verdict of the jury, made up of the writers Soledad Puértolas and Fernando Schwartz; the journalists Ana Vega Toscano, an expert in culture from RNE; Miquel Molina, deputy director of La Vanguardia, and David Velasco, director of the Senior Citizens programme of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation; as well as the winners of the 2023 edition, Chelo Cameselle and Gaspar Marqués. The winners have been rewarded with the broadcasting of their podcasts and the radio adaptation of their story and micro-story on Radio Nacional de España. In addition, their illustrated texts will be published in La Vanguardia and on the websites of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation and RNE. They will also have the opportunity to join the jury for the next edition.
The competition has its origins in the framework of the ‘Great Readers’ participatory reading and discussion workshops, in which more than 84,000 elderly people have taken part over the last 10 years. In this line, all the finalist stories will form part of a biennial book that contributes to boosting their dynamism. In addition, new workshops on different types of writing and the creation of podcasts have recently been promoted, with the aim of acquiring knowledge and promoting meetings to improve communication, encourage social relations, the creation of links, and generate spaces for debate for reflection and the development of the critical and creative capacity of the elderly. All these proposals, aimed at encouraging the creativity and imagination of the elderly, are given both in the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation's own network of centres and in those with which it has agreements with administrations throughout Spain.
The publication of this biennial book is a tribute to all the participants, and in each edition more than 1,000 copies are distributed among the elderly who wish to enjoy, through reading, the stories created by their contemporaries.
More than 5,000 works submitted
The Story Writing Competition for Older Adults seeks to promote the active participation of people over 60 in society, encouraging writing and reading, as well as the use of imagination and creativity. At the same time, this competition gives visibility to their skills, knowledge and values, allowing them to share them with society. The stories written by older people are a mirror of their lives and the wisdom accumulated over years of experience, as well as offering a unique insight into our history and the present time.
This year, nostalgia and memories of the past took centre stage in the short story category. For their part, the micro-stories dealt with different realities from a humorous perspective, as did the podcasts, a format that has been very well received by the elderly.
By territory, once again this year, people from Madrid were the most participative, followed by Catalans, Andalusians and Valencians. In terms of age, the large participation of people between 60 and 70 years of age was notable.
Looking to the future
The ‘la Caixa’ Foundation's Elderly People's Programme, which has been running for more than a century, has as its main objective to face the new challenges that arise in old age. Its current focus is on promoting models based on ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’, giving priority to the development of a personal project. In doing so, it seeks to facilitate a new stage in the lives of older people, one that is valuable and meaningful, with a realistic and responsible approach, enjoying and contributing to society. In this context, it stresses the importance of combating isolation and loneliness through supportive relationships, self-care and mutual care.
RNE's ‘Juntos paso a paso’ (Together, step by step)
‘Juntos paso a paso’ is a public service programme that focuses on providing relevant information for older people and people with disabilities, groups that often face difficulties in making their voices heard and accessing useful information.
The aim of the programme is to contribute to the normalisation of their lives and to promote active and healthy ageing. To achieve this, the programme travels to homes and centres for the elderly, giving listeners the opportunity to express themselves and share their opinions. On this occasion, the winners of the 16th Contest of Stories Written by Elderly People will have a space on the programme, where the radio adaptation of their stories, micro-stories and podcasts will also be broadcast.
