Category Archives: Contests

DEADLINE: May 15, 2020 ELIGIBILITY: Writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book may enter. WHAT TO ENTER: Fiction and nonfiction: up to 6,000 words. Poetry: 3–5 pages. FEE: $24. The fee includes … Continue reading →

Each year, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) hosts awards in a range of subjects and for different age groups. This year, Ava Sharahy (’20) was one of 15 11th grade winners from the state of New Jersey … Continue reading →

Bennington College has a unique literary legacy, including ten Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, the youngest Man Booker Prize winner, countless New York Times bestsellers, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. DEADLINE: November … Continue reading →

Mid-June through August, every Friday the New York Times asks students, “What interested you most in The Times this week? Why?” You then have until the following Friday to answer, when a team of Times journalists choose their favorite responses, … Continue reading →

  Sponsored by The Poetry Society Largest International Poetry Contest Deadline: July 30, 2019 Prizes: 15 winners and 85 commended poets selected. Winners will be published in a print anthology with a 24,500 distribution. Commended poets’ names appear in the … Continue reading →

“The Greed Game,” a play by Kianni Keys ’19 won 1st Place in THE THEATER PROJECT 17th Annual Young Playwrights Competition and was honored at an awards ceremony on March 9, 2019 at the Cranford Community Center, where the play … Continue reading →

A flash fiction story by sophomore Annika Inampudi titled “Other Gods” earned a Scholastic Art & Writing Silver Medal. About one percent of Scholastic’s nearly 340,000 entries submitted nationwide in 2019 earned national recognition. This is Annika’s second National Medal. … Continue reading →

This year 15 NA students across 6 grades earned 31 Scholastic Writing Awards in the following categories:   flash fiction, humor, personal essay/memoir,  poetry, short story, Senior Writing Portfolio, and an American Voices Award nomination.  Congratulations to the following students: HONORABLE … Continue reading →

Eligibility: Ages 13 – 19. Info: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/learning/student-contest-our-sixth-annual-15-second-vocabulary-video-challenge.html?module=inline Guidelines: All words must come from the NY Times Word of the Day feature. Each word must be pronounced and defined, and the part of speech must be given. You can work alone … Continue reading →

The Interlochen Review is an online literary journal edited by creative writing students of Interlochen Arts Academy. Eligibility: Grades 9-12 or high school postgraduate year. Guidelines:
Submit up to 6 pieces total. Website: http://www.interlochenreview.org/ Fiction — Word count for each story must be below 5,000 words. … Continue reading →

Eligibility: Ages 13 – 19 Prize: Publication in The New York Times Read Previous Winners: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/22/learning/making-connections-50-teenagers-suggest-creative-ways-to-link-classroom-curriculum-to-the-world-today.html?module=inline How to Enter: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/22/learning/making-connections-50-teenagers-suggest-creative-ways-to-link-classroom-curriculum-to-the-world-today.html?module=inline Guidelines: Choose some piece of academic content: something you’ve been reading, discussing or learning about in school. It may be … Continue reading →

Louise Louis / Emily F. Bourne PSA Student Award Deadline: December 15 if emailed by Ms. James for inclusion in a school packet (NA pays entry fee); December 22 if mailed on your own ($5 fee paid by you). Eligibility: … Continue reading →

National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award for Superior Writing Who: This contest is for current JUNIORS only. Purpose:  To encourage high school students in their writing and to publicly recognize some of the best student writers. Eligibility:  Juniors … Continue reading →

A Kansas nonprofit established in 1980, the Writing Conference Inc. hosts an annual national writing contest for middle and high school students. Deadline: Early January. See website. WHO: For grades 6 -12 WHAT TO SUBMIT: Each student may submit ONE … Continue reading →

One Teen Story is open to students age 14-19. Short stories should be between 1,500 to 4,000 words and be the writer’s own original, unpublished work. Previously published stories and stories forthcoming at other publications cannot be considered. No entry … Continue reading →

NJ Writing Deadline: Wednesday December 5, 2018 NJ Art Deadline: Wednesday December 5, 2018 Other regional Deadlines: Find deadlines here Eligibility: Public, private, or home-school students in the U.S., Canada, or American schools abroad enrolled in grades 7–12 Entry Fee: … Continue reading →

Deadline: Early December. See website. Eligibility:  Grades 9-12 Entry Fee: None Award: $100 and possible publication in Venture Magazine How to Enter: Guidelines Judge: Dr. Roberta Clipper Previous Winners: 37th Annual Contest Winners Website: rider.edu SUBMIT: ESSAY: Personal essay, labeled … Continue reading →

Deadline: Late November. See website. Eligibility: High school juniors Entry Fee: Free Submit: Up to 3 poems Awards:  1st Prize: $500; 2nd Prize: $250; 3rd Prize: $100. Previous Winner: “Gunsafe” by Joseph Felkers Judge: Princeton University Creative Writing Faculty Website:  arts.princeton.edu … Continue reading →

Deadlines: Find your state here. NJ Deadline: Early December. See website. Eligibility:  Grades 4–12 Entry Fee: None Award: Regional & National Honors Submit: Personal essay in the form of a letter to an author, living or dead How to Enter: … Continue reading →

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers recognizes outstanding young poets and is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. The contest winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop. In addition, … Continue reading →

The Bennington Young Writers Awards are offered annually by Bennington College—whose literary legacy includes seven Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, the youngest Man Booker Prize winner, a MacArthur “Genius,” countless New York Times bestsellers, and one of Time … Continue reading →

Deadline: October 12, 2018 at 11:59pm EST (New York Time). No grace period of uploading of materials. Eligibility: Ages 15-18, Grades 10 – 12 as of 12/1/17.  US citizens or permanent residents only. Entry Fee:  $35 per category Awards: See … Continue reading →

New Jersey Council of Teachers of English (NJCTE) High School Writing Contest Deadline: Early December 2018 Eligibility: NJ Students Grades 9-12 Entry Fee: None Categories: ~Poetry (one poem, 50-line max.) –FREE CHOICE ~Short story (5-page max. double-spaced) – FREE CHOICE … Continue reading →

James Blume ’19 won the 2018 National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award for Superior Writing for his personal essay, “The Illustrated Generation,” which responded to this year’s theme, “Changing the narrative” as well as his short story, “Rockface.” … Continue reading →

Sponsored by The Poetry Society Largest International Poetry Contest Deadline: July 31, 2018 @ 7pm EST Prizes: 15 winners and 85 commended poets selected. Winners will be published in a print anthology with a 24,500 distribution. Commended poets’ names appear … Continue reading →

“Hotel Lobbies,” a short story by Samantha Parelli ’21 earned a 2018 Governor’s Award in Arts Education to be presented at an award ceremony and performance at the Patriots Theatre at the War Memorial in Trenton on May 22, 2018. … Continue reading →

Three Newark Academy students — two writers and one photographer — earned 2018 Scholastic National Gold Medals. Gillian Cohen ’19 won for her photograph, “Miles and the Birds.” Ezra Lebovitz ’18 won for his poetry collection,”’Cracking My Knuckles in Public,’ … Continue reading →

SHORT STORY AWARD FOR NEW WRITERS Grace Period Extended Until March 10, 2018 Deadline: The Short Story Award for New Writers is held three times per year: February 28 | June 30 | October 31. A one-week grace period follows … Continue reading →

36th Annual National High School Writing Contest ELIGIBILITY: Grades 9 – 12 SUBMIT: Poetry, fiction, memoir and/or personal essay AWARD: Publication in the national tabloid print magazine The Apprentice Writer GUIDELINES: Electronic submission via www.apprenticewriter.com Submit as a Word document. … Continue reading →

The Interlochen Review is an online literary journal edited by creative writing students of Interlochen Arts Academy. Deadline: March 1, 2018 Eligibility: Grades 9-12 or high school postgraduate year. Guidelines: 
Submit up to 6 pieces total. Fiction— Word count for each story must be … Continue reading →

This year 20 NA students across 5 grades earned 47 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the following categories: art portfolio, comic art, critical essay, drawing/illustration, flash fiction, painting, personal essay/memoir, photography, poetry and short story. Congratulations to the following … Continue reading →

Claremont Review Annual Art & Writing Contest 1st Prize: $750 2nd Prize: $500 3rd Prize: $250 WHO: Ages 13 – 19 WHAT TO SUBMIT: Up to 3 poems, one piece of fiction up to 2,000 words, and/or up to 3 … Continue reading →

NJ Young Playwrights Contest WHAT: The Writers Theatre of New Jersey invites NJ middle and high school students in grades 4-12 to submit plays to their contest and festival. DIVISIONS: Elementary (4-6) | Junior School (7-9) | High School (10-12) LENGTH: … Continue reading →

A Kansas nonprofit established in 1980, the Writing Conference Inc. hosts an annual national writing contest for middle and high school students. Deadline: January 15, 2018 WHO: For grades 6 -12 WHAT TO SUBMIT: Each student may submit ONE entry: … Continue reading →

National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award for Superior Writing Who: This contest is for current JUNIORS only. Purpose:  To encourage high school students in their writing and to publicly recognize some of the best student writers. Eligibility:  Juniors … Continue reading →

Profile in Courage Essay Contest Deadline: Postmarked by January 4, 2018 Eligibility: Grades 9-12 Entry Fee: None Topic: Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John … Continue reading →

Louise Louis / Emily F. Bourne PSA Student Award Deadline: December 15 if mailed by Ms. James (no entry fee); December 22 if mailed on your own ($5 fee). Eligibility: Grades 9-12 Entry Fee: $5 if submitted by student. $20 … Continue reading →

Deadline: December 15, 2017 Eligibility:  Grades 9-12 Entry Fee: None Award: $100 and possible publication in Venture Magazine How to Enter: Guidelines Judge: Dr. Roberta Clipper Previous Winners: 37th Annual Contest Winners Website: rider.edu SUBMIT: ESSAY: Personal essay, labeled ESSAY, … Continue reading →

Deadlines: Find your state here. NJ Deadline: Saturday, December 9, 2017 Eligibility:  Grades 4–12 Entry Fee: None Award: Regional & National Honors Submit: Personal essay in the form of a letter to an author, living or dead How to Enter: … Continue reading →

NJ Writing Deadline: Extended to Friday, December 15, 2017 NJ Art Deadline: Extended to Wednesday January 3, 2018 Other regional Deadlines: Find deadlines here Eligibility: Public, private, or home-school students in the U.S., Canada, or American schools abroad enrolled in grades … Continue reading →

Eligibility: NJ students grade 9-12 Prize: • Inclusion of five poems in the National Youth Poet Laureate Program Northeast Region Anthology • Entry into the National Regional Contest, the winner of which receives a “book deal,” an anthology of their … Continue reading →

Deadline: November 27, 2017 Eligibility: High school juniors Entry Fee: Free Submit: Up to 3 poems Awards:  1st Prize: $500; 2nd Prize: $250; 3rd Prize: $100. Previous Winner: “Gunsafe” by Joseph Felkers Judge: Princeton University Creative Writing Faculty Website:  arts.princeton.edu Leonard … Continue reading →

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers recognizes outstanding young poets and is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. The contest winner receives a full scholarship to … Continue reading →

The Bennington Young Writers Awards are offered annually by Bennington College—whose literary legacy includes seven Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, the youngest Man Booker Prize winner, a MacArthur “Genius,” countless New York Times bestsellers, and one of Time … Continue reading →

 A New Contest for Student Fiction Eligibility: NJ Students Grades 9-12 Prize: Governor’s Award A special performance of their work read by professional actors. Submission: Students must submit two pieces of fiction. Maximum 1500-word piece on any subject of their … Continue reading →

New Jersey Council of Teachers of English (NJCTE) 2018 High School Writing Contest Deadline: December 16, 2017 at 11:59pm EST. Eligibility: NJ Students Grades 9-12 Entry Fee: None 2018 Categories: ~Poetry (one poem, 50-line max.) –FREE CHOICE ~Short story (5-page … Continue reading →

“Sounds of Winter,” a short story by Samantha Kany ’18, “August VIII” a poem by Katy Kim ’18 and “Song for the Hook Up” a poem by Ezra Lebovitz ’18 earned Honorable Mention in Rider University’s 37th annual national High … Continue reading →