John Estey Student Writing Competition (US)

Competition Prompt

• “Tradition was safety; change was danger.” — Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow
  • Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow is a visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry. The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.
  • The Sparrow is recommended for ages 16 and up.
  • This prompt is a quote from Russell’s The Sparrow and can be used as a first line, a last line, a jumping-off point, an inspiration for your students’ work. They can use the entire quote or portions of it to write a fiction or nonfiction story, poem, song, scene, short monologue or other form of writing. Submissions should be 1,000 words or less regardless of format.

Prize Information

• Prizes for the John Estey Student Writing Competition are as follows:
  • 3 Winners from the Elementary Grade category will receive $500 each
  • 3 Winners from the Middle School Category will receive $1,000 each
  • 3 Winners from the High School category will receive $2,000 each

Competition Specifications

• Category Selection
  • Elementary Grade Level (Grades 3-5)
  • Middle School Grade Level (Grades 6-8)
  • High School Grade Level (Grades 9-12)

Eligibility Criteria

• Homeschoolers are welcome to participate in the competition. Please indicate school name as ‘Homeschool’ while filling out the form.
• International students may participate in the competition. Please indicate your school’s city and country clearly in the school name field when filling out the form. Be advised, the AWM requires a teacher email and name to participate.
• Not eligible to participate: Past winners of the competition, relatives of AWM staff or board.

Rules

• Only 3 entries per category from one school.
• Teachers will be allowed to submit entries for multiple categories.
• A school with K-8 students can submit 6 entries (3 for Elementary and 3 for Middle School).
• A school that is a stand alone middle school, or a high school can submit only 3.
• If multiple teachers in a school have their students compete, the school needs to pick the top 3 for the school.
• Winners agree to be filmed reading their work and to be featured in a press release and on the American Writers Museum website.

For more information, visit American Writers Museum.