The poetry festival-competition New Odyssey was established in 2023 for schoolchildren aged 6 to 17.

The festival-competition was initiated by poet Ilya Kaminsky (USA), the “Odesa — UNESCO City of Literature” Office, the Centralized Library System for Children of Odesa, the Children’s Literature Section of the Odesa Organization of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine, with informational partnership from the newspaper Vechirnya Odesa. The literary studio Litera, created for Odesa residents as well as children from other Ukrainian cities who found themselves in Odesa due to the full-scale Russian aggression, also participates in the competition.

The poetry festival-competition aims to nurture children’s creative potential in writing poetry and to integrate participants into the literary community of Odesa and Ukraine.

A jury selects the winners and the best works for publication in the festival’s final almanac. Winners receive cash prizes and participate in the festival’s gala concert. All participants receive certificates of participation and commemorative gifts. The festival-competition is funded by patrons, and participation is free of charge.

The New Odyssey festival-competition is held with the support of the Department of Culture, International Cooperation, and European Integration.

First Season
Second Season