“A Glance at Espoo” poetry competition for seniors

The City of Espoo is organising a poetry competition for all poets and writers aged 65 and up. You do not need to be a resident of Espoo to participate. The poetry competition is part of the “A Glance at Espoo” project, which includes not only a book, a piece of media art, and a podcast series, but also songwriting workshops at senior houses and “Generations Together” activities at residents' parks.

We are looking for poetry that takes a glance at Espoo. How does Espoo look, smell, sound, or feel like right now? What did Espoo look like in the past? How do you remember Espoo? What kinds of future opportunities does Espoo have to offer? What is it like to live in Espoo? Share your thoughts and ideas in the form of a poem in Finnish, Swedish, or English.

Those looking for additional inspiration can read the “A Glance at Espoo” book, which was written in collaboration with seniors from Espoo. You can borrow it from your local library or get your own copy from the libraries at Iso Omena, Lippulaiva, Sello, Entresse, Tapiola, Laajalahti, Otaniemi, Haukilahti, Nöykkiö, Saunalahti, Suurpelto, Laaksolahti, Kauklahti and Kalajärvi.

Competition prizes

The winner will receive two season tickets to Tapiola Sinfonietta’s concerts or, alternatively, an Espoo Theatre gift card. Those who place second and third will each receive two (2) free tickets to cultural events at Sello Hall, Kannusali, or Espoo Cultural Centre.

In addition, troubadour Tomi Pulkkinen will compose a song about one of the texts selected for the poetry exhibition and perform it (with the author’s permission) as part of the “A Glance at Espoo” concert series in autumn 2026.

Competition schedule

Submit your poetry entries to the competition between 15 November 2025 and 28 February 2026.

The poetry competition’s panellists will choose the 20 best poems for the poetry exhibitions. The poems and their authors’ pseudonyms will be on display between 4 and 16 May 2026 at Lippulaiva Library and the libraries at Iso Omena, Sello, Entresse, Tapiola, and Kalajärvi.

The competition’s winners will be announced at a poetry event on 7 May 2026 at Iso Omena Library in Matinkylä.

All entries must be submitted under a pseudonym

All competition entries must be submitted under a pseudonym, as the panellists will only be given the poem and the author’s pseudonym. If you wish to enter several poems into the competition, submit them separately under different pseudonyms.

How to participate

You can freely choose the style of your poem: for example, you can write it in rhyme, in verses, or in a more free-form, reflective manner. The maximum length of each poem is 1,000 characters, i.e. approximately one A4 page.

You can submit your poem via an easy-to-use electronic form. If you do not have a computer or smartphone, you can use the shared computers at your local library. If necessary, you can ask for advice from the employees of Espoo’s libraries on how to submit your poem:

Save a copy of your poem on your computer or smartphone before opening the form.
Open the competition’s Webropol form here.(external link, opens in a new window)
Fill in your contact information, pseudonym, and other entry-related details.
Copy your poem and paste it into the open text field.
Submit the form.

Read the competition’s privacy statement.

Further information: elina.pulli@espoo.fi

The competition panel will work in two stages

The poetry competition’s panel is chaired by author Johanna Venho. The other panellists are poet Harri Hertell and writer Sanna Vaara, and the libraries of Espoo are represented by literary artist Inari Mykkänen. In addition, the panel includes Erja Tikka, representing Espoo’s Elderly Council, and journalist Sakari Heiskanen and visual artist Jussi Lahtinen.

During the first phase, Johanna Venho, Harri Hertell, Sanna Vaara, and Inari Mykkänen will go through all the poems sent to the competition, with each selecting their personal favourites and explaining their choices at the panel’s meeting. Once the panel has agreed on which 20 poems it will select for the poetry exhibitions, they will present their choices to the other panellists.

After this, the seven-member panel, under Johanna Venho’s leadership, will select the three poems to be awarded.

The winners will be contacted by phone or email. The authors of the poems selected for the poetry exhibitions will also be informed of their selection.