AUBG alumnus and Writing Center Coordinator Steven London (’19) received the Special First Prize in Poetry Group IV (English Language) in the sixth edition of the International Literary Creation Competition organized by Festivalul 4 Arts, which brought together 373 participants from 13 countries across two continents. Following closely behind him in the same category was fellow AUBG alumnus Georgi Staykov (’19), who received the First Prize.
“The contest revitalized a creative outlet I hadn’t used for a while, and for that I am deeply grateful,” Steven said.
One unique aspect of the competition was the chance to read the stories of other participants—something not typical for such contests. Steven says that it really resonated with him.
“I also enjoyed the depth of the completion – three different languages (Romanian, French, and English) and participants from two continents.”
Currently, Steven is working on a different poetry project, and this opportunity felt like a natural extension of his creative journey. “I decided to participate because the concept of the competition demonstrates an appreciation of art and culture.”
The competition’s criteria emphasized the artistic presentation of poetry, which aligned perfectly with a project where Steven was exploring modular poetry as a form. For one submission, he challenged himself to create a 12‑stanza modular poem that could be read in any order and still make sense creatively. For another, he experimented with concrete poetry.
“Because the competition’s guidelines were firm on font selection and text size, creating a poem based on the concept of infinity and using numbers and letters was a creative challenge that took a few stages before I felt that the poem was ready to submit.”
Steven recalls a formative moment from his AUBG years: “In one of my AUBG classes, we had the opportunity to write poetry in the style of another author or poet that we enjoyed. I chose to follow the style of Dr. Seuss (The Cat in the Hat; Green Eggs and Ham, etc.) to craft a poem. That type of creative outlet offered in an academic setting is great for students – even those who may not pursue poetry.”
In his current role, Steven strives to help students build tangible writing portfolios. “In relation to my work as the Writing Center Coordinator, I am always looking for ways to add value and help students build a tangible writing portfolio before their graduation. This particular competition is one that I will recommend to students, as the competition also extends to creative writing of short stories and art through painting and drawing.”
Reflecting on the experience, Steven sees a deeper connection between the competition and the AUBG spirit. “When I think of AUBG as a whole, this competition aligns with our strong desire as a community to seek out cultural opportunities to grow as individuals.”
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