Spencertown Academy is excited to once again open its annual Young Writers’ Contest to high school students (including homeschoolers) in Columbia County, NY and Berkshire County, MA, grades 9-12. This also includes high school students residing in these counties during the 2023-2024 school year.
Works will be judged in an anonymous process by published authors and publishing professionals, volunteering their services for this contest.
PRIZES
A total of SIX prizes will be awarded, in two writing categories:
- Fiction: Short Story: Prizes of $250, $150 and $100
- Nonfiction: Personal Essay or Memoir: Prizes of $250, $150 and $100
CONTEST RULES
- Entry submissions will be accepted until midnight, Wednesday, May 1st. Send entries to: [email protected].
- One entry per student. Select your own fiction or nonfiction topic. Submissions are limited to a maximum of 2,000 words. No Poetry will be accepted.
- All works must be submitted via email as a PDF or Word Doc.
- Work must be formatted in 12-pt type, double spaced, on standard 8 1/2″ x 11″ pages, with one inch margins.
- Include a story or essay title on your document, and identify it as ‘Fiction’ or ‘Nonfiction’. No personal identifying info on the document, please.
- Include your name, address, school and grade, in the body of your email. A phone number is optional, but helpful.
Prizes will be awarded before the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]
Our 2023 Winners
Enjoy reading these impressive works by six talented teenagers.
Fiction/Short Story
- First Place: Mira Pierce, 9th Grade, Chatham High School, Lonesome Town
- Second Place: Abira Khair, 9th Grade, Hudson High School, Saturn’s Rings
- Third Place: Ava Young, 10th Grade, Berkshire Waldorf High School, Living For Rose
- Honorable Mention: LoPa Grannis Pflaum, 10th Grade, Red Hook High School, Nosy People
Nonfiction/Essay or Memoir
- First Place: Amelia Scheriff, 12th Grade, Chatham High School, Namesake
- Second Place: Carlos Lopez, 12th Grade, Hudson High School, El Otro Lado del Odio
