2025 Poetry Contest (Closed)

To mark its 2025 anniversary, the festival’s theme, GLOW, gave young voices a chance to shine—through a poetry contest for children and teens. The entries were truly impressive: poems in German, English, Arabic, and Hindi, some even illustrated. The three most impressive texts were honored in three age groups. The first-place winners will receive free admission for themselves and their entire school class to a reading in the Youth Program.

Here are the award-winning poems

Age Group I – Grades 4-6

1. »Glow« by Zoé Summer Heiling
2. »Osterfeuer« by Arthur
3. »Glühwürmchen« by Elias

Age Group II – Grades 7-9

1. »Glanz/لمعانالفتاةالذياليظهرإالفياألحالم« by Ruqayah
2. »Glow« by Maude Edmunds
3. »Die Tiefe der Angst« by Ella Brandt and Madita Leni Joschko

Age Group III – Grades 10-12

1. »Suffering, Slavery and Sudden Silence« by Muhammed Sever
2. »Leuchten trotz allem«
3. »Erwachsen werden«