Submissions open for John Estey Student Writing Competition – US

Competition Prompt

• “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” The prompt is a quote from Le Guin’s the Left Hand of Darkness 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.

Categories

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

Prize Information

• The 3 winners of the Elementary Grade category will receive: $500
• The 3 winners of the Middle School category will receive: $1,000
• The 3 winners of the High School category will receive: $2,000

Eligibility Criteria

• 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.
• Homeschoolers are welcome to participate in the competition.
• International schools can participate in the competition. The AWM requires a teacher email and name to participate.

Ineligibility Criteria

• International Homeschools are not eligible to participate.
• Not eligible to participate: Past winners of the competition, relatives of museum staff or board.

For more information, visit American Writers Museum.