Call for Entries

• Language: Hungarian
• Form: Prose (essay or short story)
• Length: Minimum 7,000 and maximum 9,000 characters, including spaces and the title (the pseudonym is not counted), approximately 4–5 typed A4 pages. Entries outside this range will not be considered.
• Entry fee: None. Entry is free.
• Theme: OTTHON (HOME)

The theme is open to the applicant’s own interpretation.

Applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old on the date of submission.

Applicants must not have previously published a book, whether through a traditional publisher or through self-publishing. Publications in literary journals, online platforms, and anthologies do not affect eligibility.

The submitted work must be an original, previously unpublished piece on the theme OTTHON. It must never have been published, either online or in print, must not currently be awaiting publication, and must not be published before the results are announced. This includes publication on blogs, social media, and personal websites.

• Entries open: 12 November 2026
• Submission deadline: 1 January 2027, 23:59 Central European Time (CET). Entries received after the deadline will not be accepted.
• Results: April 2027. The winner and the honourable mention are informed at the same time, and all applicants receive an email about the outcome of the competition.
• Awards ceremony: Budapest, May 2027

Entries must be submitted under a pseudonym and will be judged anonymously. Please submit your entry through the entry form on the website: www.yuhudij.com.

To enter:

1. Choose a pseudonym: a word or phrase that does not identify you and is not connected to your real name.
2. Prepare your entry as a PDF. Place your pseudonym above the text. Apart from the pseudonym, the PDF must contain only the entry itself. Do not include your name, contact details, or other identifying information.
3. Complete the entry form and upload your PDF.

Provide the following information through the form:

• Pseudonym
• Full name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Email address
• Phone number
• Declaration of Originality (tick the box next to it)
• Consent to data processing, as described in the Privacy Notice (tick the box next to it)
• Entry as a PDF labelled with your pseudonym

The Declaration of Originality. You do not need to type or copy it: you accept it by ticking the box next to it on the form. It reads: “I declare that the submitted entry is my own, independent intellectual creation and that its text was not written by artificial intelligence. I understand that grammar-checking, spell-checking, and editing-assistance tools are permitted.”

One entry per applicant. If more than one entry is received from the same applicant, only the first one received will be considered. Once submitted, an entry cannot be changed or replaced, so please make sure your file and text are final before submitting.

You will receive an automatic confirmation email after submitting. If it does not arrive, please check your spam folder; if it is still missing, email us before the deadline.

Anonymity and personal data. The personal information you provide through the form is not shared with the Jury and is not made public. It is handled by the Organiser and by service providers acting on her behalf, as described in the Privacy Notice. The Organiser forwards entries to the Jury under their pseudonyms and without personal data. She keeps the connection between each pseudonym and the applicant’s identity confidential and, when the results are announced, discloses only the identity of the winner and of the honourable mention. An entry whose PDF contains identifying details may be disqualified.

The winner will receive a cash prize of €3,000 and the opportunity for the winning entry to be published in [selected publications – TBC].

Honourable mention. In addition to the winner, the Jury may recommend one entry for an honourable mention. The applicant will be informed at the same time as the winner, acknowledged at the awards ceremony, and mentioned in the press coverage published after the event. The honourable mention does not include a monetary prize or publication of the entry, and does not entitle the applicant to the winner’s prize. An honourable mention is awarded only if the prize is awarded.

The Organiser does not undertake an unconditional obligation to award the prize by publishing this Call for Entries. If, in the Jury’s assessment, none of the entries submitted in a given year meet the required professional standard, the Organiser may withhold the prize.

If the Jury considers more than one entry equally deserving of recognition, the Organiser may split the prize, including the monetary prize and/or publication opportunity, between multiple entries.

The final decision on awarding, withholding, or splitting the prize, and on the honourable mention, rests with the Organiser, taking the Jury’s recommendation into account.

By submitting an entry, applicants confirm that the work is their own original intellectual creation and does not infringe the rights of any third party. Text written by artificial intelligence may not be submitted. The use of grammar-checking, spell-checking, and editing-assistance tools is permitted.

The Organiser reserves the right to request documentation of the creative process, such as earlier drafts or notes, from finalists or the winner. If an applicant cannot demonstrate the authentic creative process behind the work, the entry may be disqualified or an awarded prize may be withdrawn.

Copyright and Warranty

Copyright in the submitted work remains with the applicant at all times. By submitting an entry, the applicant warrants that they are the exclusive copyright holder of the work and that no third party holds rights that would prevent or restrict its permitted use. The applicant further warrants that the work contains no material whose use they are not authorised to permit. In cases of suspected plagiarism or infringement, the Organiser reserves the right to disqualify the entry or withdraw an awarded prize.

Licence to Use

Entries that are not awarded are used only to administer and judge the competition. By submitting an entry, the applicant agrees that, if the entry is awarded the prize or an honourable mention, the applicant grants the Organiser a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use the work for communication, promotional, press, and publication purposes related to the competition, including the uses necessary for these purposes. The Organiser may sublicense these rights to third parties, such as publications featuring the winning entry. This licence does not transfer copyright.

Promotional Use

By submitting an entry, the applicant agrees that, if the entry is awarded the prize or an honourable mention, YUHU-DÍJ may use their name, short biography, and excerpts from their work for communication, promotional, press, and publication purposes related to the competition.

Tax Obligations

All tax and other public-duty payment, declaration, and related obligations connected with the monetary prize fall solely on the winning applicant.

Data Processing

Personal data will be processed for the purpose of administering the competition, as described in the Privacy Notice: Privacy Notice.

Ottó Fenyvesi József Attila Prize-winning poet, writer, editor, and visual artist.

Diána Horváth-Márjánovics Literary historian and critic.

Ottó Horváth Serbian poet, writer, and translator.

István Ladányi Chair of the Jury. Literary historian, university professor, poet, and editor.

Roland Orcsik Poet, writer, translator, critic, and editor.

Zoltán Virág Literary historian and critic.

The Advisory Council has an advisory role only. At the Jury’s request, it may consider matters that the Jury cannot resolve within its own authority. The Organiser, Martina Domonkos, may also consult the Council on matters relating to the organisation of the prize. The Council does not take part in judging the entries; it decides only if the Jury’s vote is tied.

Martina Domonkos Organiser. Art curator and author.

Katalin Ladik Honorary Member. Poet, performer, and actress.

Beáta Thomka Széchenyi Prize-winning literary historian and university professor.

Szabolcs Tolnai Film and theatre director.

If you have a question, please read the FAQ first. If you still cannot find an answer, email us at yuhu@yuhudij.com.