Jesús Serra Poetry Competition steps up its pledge to support young talent and for the first time honours a poet under the age of 40 with its Special Prize

"With a total of 1,408 entrants from 38 countries, the literary contest further cements its international reach and commitment to poetic creation across all ages and nationalities."

• The new young adult category, for 18- to 25-year-olds, is the age group that has grown the most in this edition and reflects the impact of the changes made to the competition.

• The 7th Special Prize goes to poet Ángela Segovia, who at 39 becomes the youngest winner ever to receive this accolade in the competition's history.

Today sees the announcement of the winners of the 19th Fundación Occident Jesús Serra Poetry Competition, an edition marked by a revamp of the contest which underscores its commitment to young talent and discovering new poetic voices. As every year, the competition awards prizes for poetic creation in Spanish and Catalan.

Under the theme "Your Unfiltered Voice", this year's competition introduces two significant changes. Firstly, the Jesús Serra Special Poetry Prize is for the first time geared towards established poets under the age of 45. Secondly, a new young adult category has been set up designed for poets from 18 to 25 years old, an age at which their own poetic voice is beginning to take shape.

The response confirms the competition's support for these young voices with 276 poems submitted in this age group, which has seen the greatest growth compared with previous editions.

The 7th Jesús Serra Special Poetry Prize, worth €5,000, has gone to poet Ángela Segovia, who at 39 is the youngest to pick up this award. The jury recognised her as "an unmistakable voice in contemporary poetry, characterised by experimentation and a constant challenge to the conventions of language which continually expands the forms and possibilities of poetic creation". The career of this Ávila-born author has also led her to explore the relationship between poetry and music while also venturing into the realm of narrative.

This edition additionally features an unprecedented milestone: Ona March i Mestres, a sixteen-year-old from Barcelona, has become the first entrant to win in both sections of the same category. The jury commended the quality of her poems "Las reglas del agua" and "Manual per desaparèixer sense fer soroll", written in Spanish and Catalan, in the youth category.

The seven winners in the children's, youth, young adult and adult categories, in Spanish and Catalan, are:

• Gala Lazcano Pereira, aged 12 and from Barcelona, was awarded €800 in the children's category in Spanish for her poem "Donde el tiempo aprende a quedarse".

• Lea Hermosa Raffaelli, aged 12 and from Barcelona, was awarded €800 in the children's category in Catalan for her poem "El cavall que vol viure a la ciutat".

• Ona March i Mestres, aged 16 and from Barcelona, was awarded €1,500 in the youth category in Spanish for her poem "Las reglas del agua", and €1,500 in the youth category in Catalan for her poem "Manual per desaparèixer sense fer soroll".

• Mariana Yunuén Zavala De la Rosa, aged 24 and from Barcelona, was awarded €2,500 in the young adult category in Spanish for her poem "Pardas".

• Pau Roselló Prats, aged 22 and from Barcelona, was awarded €2,500 in the young adult category in Catalan for his poem "El plat d'arròs bullit".

• Aitor Bergara, aged 41 and from Madrid, was awarded €2,500 in the adult category in Spanish for his poem "La enfermedad metafísica".

• Jordi Julià, aged 53 and from Sant Celoni, was awarded €2,500 in the adult category in Catalan for his poem "Fragment de carta d'un cristià del segle II".

The Fundación Occident poetry competition takes its name from its founder, Jesús Serra Santamans, who was an amateur poet throughout his life. In tribute to his memory and legacy, the competition upholds his passion for promoting poetic creation.

"Young people have a lot to say, and poetry is yet another way of giving voice to their thoughts, emotions and experiences," says Ignacio Gallardo, director of the Fundación Occident. "This year's competition reflects this belief: we set out to create new spaces where the younger generations can share their voices unfiltered and feel they are being listened to. At Fundación Occident, we want to be one of those spaces."

The judging panel, made up of leading members of the country's poetry landscape in Elena Medel, Ricardo Fernández, Carlos Zanon, Andrea Valbuena and Josep Pedrals, also includes two representatives of the new generation of poets this year: Mario Obrero and Luna Miguel.

"Every poem is a gateway to the inner world of its author," points out Mario Obrero, a member of the judging panel and three-time winner of the competition. "It is a source of pride to see how interest in poetry continues to grow amongst young people, and as a former winner of this competition, I know full well what it means to receive this first recognition. I encourage all the contestants to keep writing poetry and sharing that creative vision with the world."

The Jesús Serra Poetry Competition awards ceremony will take place on Friday 3 July at the Torre Bellesguard in Barcelona in an event where the winners will read their poems to the audience.

For more information about the competition and the winners, please visit the Jesús Serra Poetry Competition website.