Have you ever fallen in love or experienced a moment of connection, transformation, or inspiration within the walls of a library? Have you ever laughed, cried, or fallen asleep in a library? Have you stumbled upon joy, solace, or magic among the shelves? Has a library ever been the backdrop to a chapter of your life story? Would you like to tell that story?

We are now accepting written submissions under the following title, How a Library Changed My Life, as part of The Europe Challenge writing competition.

Libraries across Europe are not just about books; they are about life-changing moments, be they escapes from reality, places of serendipitous discoveries, or even unexpected companionships with people or stories. Whether it’s a tale of romance sparked between the stacks, a burst of inspiration, or a poignant memory that clings to your heart, we want to hear it! Share your most unforgettable library experiences with us and celebrate the magic of libraries.

Submissions must be in English, with a maximum of 3,000 words in length. Five winners will receive a cash prize of 500 EUR, be published in The Europe Challenge publication and have the opportunity to travel to Amsterdam to do a public reading of their winning piece at our event and book launch in September 2024. The deadline for submissions is 20 May 2024 at 12.00 (noon) CET. Winners will be informed via email in June 2024.

The Europe Challenge 2024 is initiated by the European Cultural Foundation and supported by Fondazione Cariplo, the Scottish Library and Information Council, public funding by Arts Council England, and Deutsche Postcode Lotterie via Deutsche Bibliotheksverband. The programme delivery partners are Including Society, Changency, DOKK1 Aarhus Public Libraries, OBA Public Libraries Amsterdam and Public Libraries 2030.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.