Short Story Contest
MYMIGRATIONSTORY
A writing contest sponsored by the International Foundation for Freedom (FIL) through its program Cátedra Vargas Llosa
Its constitution has been an initiative of a group of intellectuals and think tank leaders from both sides of the Atlantic (the United States, Latin America, and Europe).
FIL authorities represent a sample of some of the best minds in the Ibero-American world whose adherence to freedom has made great contributions to political development in the Ibero-American region.
FIL stands behind freedom, democracy, and the rule of law as those principles constitute the basis of civilization.
FIL’s activities include conferences, publications, awards, recognition of freedom fighters, and specialized panels that address contemporary threats to democracy.
Through its Cátedra Vargas Llosa Program, FIL supports the development of writing skills, the development of dramatic works, and the dissemination of ideas that strengthen and protect democracy and freedom.
The International Foundation for Freedom (FIL), founded by the Nobel Prize for Literature Mr. Mario Vargas Llosa, was established in October 2002, and its main objective is the defense of those principles whose establishment constitutes the basis of democracy, freedom and prosperity.
The Board
Álvaro Vargas Llosa
President
Peruvian-Spanish writer, political commentator, and lecturer on international affairs. He is also a writer and host of a documentary series airing around the world for the National Geographic Channel on the contemporary history of Latin America.
Gerardo Bongiovanni
Executive Director
Researcher and president of the Libertad Foundation (Rosario, Argentina), whose main objective is the dissemination of public policy issues, especially socioeconomic and business issues, promoting ideas about freedom in the context of social relations. In addition, he is a member of the prestigious Mont Pelerin Society (Prague, Czech Republic), where he participates in the research of one of the world’s most important liberal think tanks.
Gregorio Fraile Bartolomé
Secretary of the Board of Trustees
Insolvency administrator and Arbitrator of the Madrid Bar Association. Expert in Commercial Law. Recognized authority on Bankruptcy matters.
The Cátedra Vargas Llosa was established in 2011 to promote the study of contemporary literature, enhance interest in reading and writing, and support new Ibero-American literary creation. It also seeks to analyze the ideas of our time and develop technological innovation models for education, research, and scientific and cultural outreach, in addition to disseminating the work of Mario Vargas Llosa, the 2010 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature.
To achieve these objectives, Cátedra Vargas Llosa carries out an ambitious program of academic, creative, and educational activities. Since its launch in 2011, it has collaborated with numerous companies as well as cultural and educational institutions in Spain, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, the United States, France, and Sweden.
«Cátedra Vargas Llosa (Vargas Llosa Chair) aims to contribute to the study and dissemination of contemporary literature, foster debate on culture-related topics, promote new generations of writers, and bring together creators, critics, thinkers, and other key figures of our cultural life.»
In Miami, the Chair—alongside META Miami, the Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, Argus Capital, and eLibro—sponsors the “My Migration Story” contest for ninth-grade students. In this competition, students share the migratory history of their families or their own experiences in a 600-word narrative. The contest has been held twice, with Ana Rodrigues (2024) and Noah Menjivar (2025), both students at the International Studies Preparatory Academy, emerging as winners.