XLII Certamen literario Brunca 2025
Fecha
2025
Autores
Título de la revista
ISSN de la revista
Título del volumen
Editor
Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
Resumen
Por cuadragésima segunda vez, el Certamen Literario Brunca, se complace en presentar aquí las obras participantes que los diferentes jurados han elegido como las mejores del año. En este 2025, el Certamen, que es un proyecto de extensión de la Sede Regional Brunca de la Universidad Nacional, ha decidido continuar con su misión de promover la creación literaria en personas jóvenes, tanto en la Zona Sur como en el resto del país. Esta decisión obedece al interés particular que tiene esta institución educativa por fortalecer y fomentar el desarrollo de la cultura y las artes regionales, siempre desde una visión prospectiva, orientada hacia la formación y promoción de las nuevas generaciones. El Certamen ha iniciado así un nuevo periodo de tres años de ejecución, durante el cual no solo continúa ofreciendo a personas escritoras jóvenes la posibilidad de medir su talento en una palestra especialmente diseñada para ellas, sino que también abre espacios diferenciados de aprendizaje y estimulación para niños, niñas y jóvenes de la Región Brunca. De esta manera, se han venido desarrollando talleres de escritura creativa en distintas escuelas y colegios de la Zona Sur, así como en los dos campus de la Universidad Nacional en esta región. Asimismo, en este 2025, se llevó a cabo el Primer Concurso Regional Juvenil de Poesía y Cuento, dirigido a jóvenes entre los 10 y los 17 años, cuyas ganadoras también ven sus obras publicadas en este volumen. Igualmente, el Certamen continúa abriendo las puestas de la Universidad a personas autoras regionales, nacionales e internacionales que deseen compartir con nuestras comunidades por medio de foros, conversatorios, conferencias y otros espacios de interacción y aprendizaje. Cuarenta y dos obras literarias participaron en esta edición 2025 del Certamen Literario Brunca. Las obras que recopilamos aquí son una muestra del talento literario que se forja en los cantones de la Región Brunca y más allá, y comprenden, entre premios y menciones honoríficas otorgadas por los jurados del Certamen, el trabajo de dos narradoras, dos poetas y una poetisa. Además, se incluyen los poemas y cuentos de las cuatro jóvenes que fueron galardonadas como resultado del concurso juvenil. Por otra parte, aparecen las actas de los diferentes jurados del Certamen, que son tribunales compuestos por personas escritoras, filólogas y académicas de la lengua, tanto de la Universidad de Costa Rica como de la Universidad Nacional, y provienen de diversos rincones del territorio nacional. Ellos y ellas, para quienes nuestro agradecimiento es infinito, realizan una labor voluntaria de altísimo nivel, la cual asumen con gran esmero y compromiso. Por último, el arte que adorna la portada de esta edición fue escogido de entre treinta y cuatro obras participantes; lleva por título “En mis pensamientos” y creemos que ilustra perfectamente la imaginación y la fuerza creativa que impulsan el arte, las letras y la cultura de nuestra región. Frente a un futuro incierto para las artes y la creatividad, en el cual las inteligencias artificiales se presentan como poderosos motores de progreso pero también como amenazas reales, el Certamen Literario Brunca asume una posición de guía y motivación para nuevas personas escritoras que deseen desarrollar sus talentos y explorar las posibilidades de expresión y realización que la literatura y la creación literaria les ofrecen. Estamos conscientes de que los escenarios de competición en este campo, tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, son vulnerables a la corrupción y a las prácticas deshonestas que resultan no solo de un uso liviano de la tecnología sino también del vicio humano. Ante este panorama, el Certamen Literario Brunca se compromete a mantenerse vigilante de los procesos que lleva a cabo año con año, y reafirma su compromiso con la rigurosidad y la transparencia que siempre lo han caracterizado y que lo han llevado a posicionarse como uno de los concursos literarios más prestigiosos del país. Con todo, nuestro enfoque sigue siendo el realce y celebración de la palabra creativa, en especial de la palabra naciente y auténtica, pronunciada por las voces jóvenes de nuestras comunidades y de nuestra nación. Joe Montenegro Bonilla
For the forty-second time, the Brunca Literary Contest is pleased to present here the entries that the various juries have selected as the best of the year. In 2025, the Contest—an outreach project of the Brunca Regional Campus of the National University—has decided to continue its mission of promoting literary creation among young people, both in the Southern Region and throughout the rest of the country. This decision stems from this educational institution’s particular interest in strengthening and fostering the development of regional culture and the arts, always with a forward-looking vision focused on the training and promotion of new generations. The Contest has thus begun a new three-year cycle, during which it not only continues to offer young writers the opportunity to test their talent in a forum specially designed for them, but also creates distinct spaces for learning and stimulation for children and youth in the Brunca Region. Consequently, creative writing workshops have been held in various schools and colleges in the Southern Zone, as well as on the two campuses of the National University in this region. Additionally, in 2025, the First Regional Youth Poetry and Short Story Contest was held, aimed at young people aged 10 to 17, whose winning entries are also published in this volume. Likewise, the Contest continues to open the University’s doors to regional, national, and international authors who wish to engage with our communities through forums, discussions, conferences, and other spaces for interaction and learning. Forty-two literary works participated in this 2025 edition of the Brunca Literary Contest. The works we have compiled here are a sample of the literary talent being forged in the cantons of the Brunca Region and beyond, and include, among the prizes and honorable mentions awarded by the Contest’s juries, the work of two male storytellers, two male poets, and one female poet. Additionally, the poems and short stories of the four young women who were awarded prizes in the youth contest are included. Furthermore, the minutes of the various competition juries are included; these panels are composed of writers, philologists, and language scholars from both the University of Costa Rica and the National University, hailing from diverse corners of the country. To them, to whom our gratitude is boundless, we extend our deepest thanks for their voluntary work of the highest caliber, which they undertake with great care and commitment. Finally, the artwork adorning the cover of this edition was chosen from among thirty-four participating works; it is titled “In My Thoughts,” and we believe it perfectly illustrates the imagination and creative force that drive the art, literature, and culture of our region. Faced with an uncertain future for the arts and creativity—in which artificial intelligence presents itself as both a powerful engine of progress and a real threat—the Brunca Literary Contest serves as a guide and source of inspiration for emerging writers who wish to develop their talents and explore the possibilities for expression and fulfillment that literature and creative writing offer them. We are aware that competitive arenas in this field, both nationally and internationally, are vulnerable to corruption and dishonest practices resulting not only from the careless use of technology but also from human vice. Given this landscape, the Brunca Literary Contest is committed to remaining vigilant regarding the processes it carries out year after year, and reaffirms its commitment to the rigor and transparency that have always characterized it and have led it to position itself as one of the most prestigious literary contests in the country. Nevertheless, our focus remains on highlighting and celebrating the creative word, especially the emerging and authentic word, spoken by the young voices of our communities and our nation. Joe Montenegro Bonilla
For the forty-second time, the Brunca Literary Contest is pleased to present here the entries that the various juries have selected as the best of the year. In 2025, the Contest—an outreach project of the Brunca Regional Campus of the National University—has decided to continue its mission of promoting literary creation among young people, both in the Southern Region and throughout the rest of the country. This decision stems from this educational institution’s particular interest in strengthening and fostering the development of regional culture and the arts, always with a forward-looking vision focused on the training and promotion of new generations. The Contest has thus begun a new three-year cycle, during which it not only continues to offer young writers the opportunity to test their talent in a forum specially designed for them, but also creates distinct spaces for learning and stimulation for children and youth in the Brunca Region. Consequently, creative writing workshops have been held in various schools and colleges in the Southern Zone, as well as on the two campuses of the National University in this region. Additionally, in 2025, the First Regional Youth Poetry and Short Story Contest was held, aimed at young people aged 10 to 17, whose winning entries are also published in this volume. Likewise, the Contest continues to open the University’s doors to regional, national, and international authors who wish to engage with our communities through forums, discussions, conferences, and other spaces for interaction and learning. Forty-two literary works participated in this 2025 edition of the Brunca Literary Contest. The works we have compiled here are a sample of the literary talent being forged in the cantons of the Brunca Region and beyond, and include, among the prizes and honorable mentions awarded by the Contest’s juries, the work of two male storytellers, two male poets, and one female poet. Additionally, the poems and short stories of the four young women who were awarded prizes in the youth contest are included. Furthermore, the minutes of the various competition juries are included; these panels are composed of writers, philologists, and language scholars from both the University of Costa Rica and the National University, hailing from diverse corners of the country. To them, to whom our gratitude is boundless, we extend our deepest thanks for their voluntary work of the highest caliber, which they undertake with great care and commitment. Finally, the artwork adorning the cover of this edition was chosen from among thirty-four participating works; it is titled “In My Thoughts,” and we believe it perfectly illustrates the imagination and creative force that drive the art, literature, and culture of our region. Faced with an uncertain future for the arts and creativity—in which artificial intelligence presents itself as both a powerful engine of progress and a real threat—the Brunca Literary Contest serves as a guide and source of inspiration for emerging writers who wish to develop their talents and explore the possibilities for expression and fulfillment that literature and creative writing offer them. We are aware that competitive arenas in this field, both nationally and internationally, are vulnerable to corruption and dishonest practices resulting not only from the careless use of technology but also from human vice. Given this landscape, the Brunca Literary Contest is committed to remaining vigilant regarding the processes it carries out year after year, and reaffirms its commitment to the rigor and transparency that have always characterized it and have led it to position itself as one of the most prestigious literary contests in the country. Nevertheless, our focus remains on highlighting and celebrating the creative word, especially the emerging and authentic word, spoken by the young voices of our communities and our nation. Joe Montenegro Bonilla
Descripción
Contiene los ganadores de I Concurso Regional Juvenil de poesía y cuento
Palabras clave
POESÍA COSTARRICENSE, CUENTOS COSTARRICENSES, LITERATURA COSTARRICENSE, PÉREZ ZELEDÓN (SAN JOSÉ), COSTARICAN POETRY, COSTARICAN SHORT STORIES, COSTARICAN LITERATURE