From poetry prizes to student-run literary magazines, here is a guide to the best places for children and teens to share their writing with the world, with entry requirements for each.
6 November, 2026 ● Written by Stefan Bachmann
Illustration by Graficon Stuff on Unsplash
For young writers, publication can often seem like a far-off dream, something for the old and wise, people with gray hair and spectacles, that mysterious breed of person called “the Author.” But is it really? Absolutely not.
Anyone can write. Everyone should write, we think, and express their valuable, unique perspectives of the world. And no one is too young to start, not just writing, but submitting their stories, poems, essays, or articles to publications. It’s a valuable experience, from the process itself, to the finishing, the polishing, and then the deadlines, the promise of prizes, the drumming up of courage to send. And on a practical note: if a piece by a young writer gets picked up by a magazine or wins an award, it can go straight into a college application or a CV, carrying a young writer confidently into a professional career.
Luckily, plenty of wonderful competitions and outlets have been established expressly to encourage young writers. Below, we've gathered some of the best of them, competitions and submission opportunities for English-language writers from early elementary school through the end of high school. Most are open to students anywhere in the world, and nearly all are free. We've also included a handful of major national competitions in English-speaking countries.
All details were checked in November 2026. Deadlines and rules change every year, so always confirm on the official website before submitting.
Before you enter: tips for young writers, parents, and teachers
Ask permission first. Writers under 18 usually need a parent or guardian's consent, and some competitions also require a sponsoring teacher or adult.
Read the rules twice. Word counts, line limits, and "no names on the entry file" rules disqualify more entries than weak writing does.
Write it yourself. Nearly every competition bans AI-generated work, as they should, and many check for it.
Check whether work must be unpublished. Posting a poem on a public blog or social media can count as publication.
Mind the time zone. Many deadlines are set in British Summer Time or US Pacific Time.
Keep a copy. Entries are rarely returned. Don’t send the only version.
Don't be discouraged. The biggest competitions receive tens of thousands of entries. In 2025, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award alone received over 28,000 poems from 10,000 young poets in 135 countries. Finishing a piece and sending it out is already an achievement.
Eva Wahyuni for Unsplash+
For younger writers (about ages 5 to 13)
For the youngest writers, the goal is joy and confidence. These magazines and anthologies publish real work by real kids, and several accept submissions all year.
Stone Soup
This classic magazine written and illustrated entirely by children has been publishing young writers since 1973.
Who: Writers and artists ages 13 and younger, from anywhere in the world.
What: Stories, poems, book reviews, and art. There is no minimum or maximum length.
How: Online through Submittable only (no email or post). Submit one piece, then wait for a response before sending another.
Good to know: Stone Soup also runs regular contests with their own themes and age limits, so check the site for current calls.
Young Writers (US: Young Writers USA)
A publisher dedicated to children’s writing that has been celebrating young poets and storytellers for 35 years, with competitions running throughout the year.
Who: Children and teens ages 4 to 18, with each competition aimed at a particular age range.
What: Themed poetry and story competitions. Recent examples include Poetry Stars (ages 4 to 11), Story Lab (ages 7 to 18), and Ghost Stories (ages 5 to 18).
How: Through a school, which is how most entries arrive, or individually. Check each competition page for current themes and closing dates.
Good to know: Selected entries are published in printed anthologies, and every participating school receives a free copy. The free teaching resources and prompts on the site are useful even if you don’t enter.
Highlights
The beloved children's magazine prints drawings, poems, and stories sent in by its readers.
Who: Young writers and artists under the age of 16.
How: Upload through the "Share with Us" page on HighlightsKids.com, or mail work to Highlights, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431, USA.
Good to know: Highlights also runs occasional story contests, such as finishing an unfinished story or writing one inspired by an illustration.
Cricket Media contests
The publisher of Cricket, Ladybug, and other children's magazines.
Who: Children of all ages can enter its contests. Its magazines don't accept general submissions from writers under 14.
What: Stories, poetry, essays, and art, depending on the contest.
Young Poets Network
The UK Poetry Society's online home for young poets, with free writing challenges throughout the year.
Who: Poets up to age 25, anywhere in the world. Many challenges explicitly welcome writers as young as 5.
What: Themed challenges (recent ones have explored dreams, colors, sonnets, and myths), with winners published online and sent book prizes.
Cost: Always free. Multiple entries are often allowed.
Good to know: Writers 12 and younger need a parent or guardian to fill in a one-time permission form. Poets keep the copyright to their work.
For teens, open worldwide (about ages 11 to 19)
These competitions and magazines welcome entries from teens in any country. They range from friendly monthly challenges to some of the most prestigious youth writing prizes in the world.
Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
Run by the UK's Poetry Society since 1998, this is one of the largest and most respected poetry competitions for young people anywhere.
Who: Ages 11 to 17 on the closing date, anywhere in the world.
What: Poems on any theme, up to 40 lines each, in English, British Sign Language, or Braille. UK entrants may send up to three poems; international entrants may send one.
Cost: Free.
Deadline: July 31 each year (the 2026 round has closed; the next usually opens in spring).
Prizes: 100 winners are chosen each year. The top 15 have traditionally received a week-long writing residency and publication in a printed anthology, and from 2026 the prize pathways differ for UK and international winners.
Good to know: Poems written using generative AI are not allowed.
Teen Ink
One of the longest-running publishers of teen writing, publishing young writers since 1989.
Who: Teens ages 13 to 19.
What: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, art, and photos.
How: Online, year-round, with no deadlines. Free to submit and to be published.
Good to know: Work is considered for both the website and a digital magazine every two months. AI-generated work isn’t accepted.
Write the World
A global online community for teen writers, with a new free competition every month.
Who: Writers ages 13 to 19, anywhere in the world, with a free Write the World account.
What: Each month brings a different genre: poetry, flash fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, journalism, memoir, op-eds, screenwriting, fairy tales and myths, and more.
When: Competitions begin on the first Monday of each month, with three weeks to enter.
Cost: Free.
Good to know: Writers can get peer and expert feedback before submitting. Work in other languages must include an English translation.
The New York Times Learning Network contests
A year-round calendar of contests responding to the news, culture, and students' own lives, with winners published by the Times.
Who: Students ages 13 to 19 enrolled in middle or high school, anywhere in the world.
What: Formats change each year. The 2026 to 2027 calendar opened with a 100-word personal memoir contest and includes returning favorites like open letters and student podcasts, along with new visual and video contests.
Cost: Free. All entries must be in English.
Good to know: From 2026 to 2027, the Times also asks students to show something of their creative process, so keep your notes and drafts.
Polyphony Lit
A global literary magazine for high school writers, run by high school editors who give feedback on submissions.
Who: High school students ages 14 to 18, anywhere in the world.
What: Poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in English. Up to three pieces per contest.
When: Seasonal contests run nearly all year. For 2027: Winter Contest (December 1 to February 28, first 200 entries free), Black History Contest (January 1 to March 31, free), Spring Contest (March 1 to May 31, first 200 free), and general submissions (March 1 to April 30, free, with editorial feedback on every piece).
Prizes: Contest winners are published in Polyphony's annual volume and become eligible for the Claudia Ann Seaman Awards (unpublished work only).
Kenyon Review Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers
An annual prize from one of America's most distinguished literary journals.
Who: High school sophomores and juniors, anywhere in the world.
What: A single poem, submitted through Submittable.
Cost: Free.
Deadline: Open November 1 to 30, 2026. Open now!
Prizes: The winner and runners-up are published in The Kenyon Review, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop.
Bennington College Young Writers Awards
A long-running award from a college with an exceptional literary tradition.
Who: Students in grades 9 to 12, anywhere in the world. Each entry needs a sponsoring high school teacher (homeschooled students can use a non-parent mentor).
What: One category per student: poetry (up to three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), or nonfiction (a personal or academic essay).
Cost: Free.
Deadline: November 1 each year. The 2026 to 2027 round has just closed, and the next opens September 1, 2027.
Prizes: $2,000, $1,000, and $500 in each category, plus $250 Distinguished Writer awards. Winners and finalists who later enroll at Bennington may also qualify for scholarships.
Good to know: Seniors enter through Bennington's (nonbinding) application process rather than the regular form.
The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose
A highly competitive prize from The Adroit Journal, judged each year by acclaimed writers.
Who: Secondary school and undergraduate students, including international students.
What: Up to five submissions for poetry (each up to five poems) and up to five for prose (each up to three pieces of fiction or creative nonfiction). All entries are also considered for publication in the journal.
Cost: A submission fee (around $15 in recent years), with financial assistance available.
Deadline: The window usually runs April 1 to May 1.
John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize
A demanding essay competition for young thinkers, run by an independent educational institute in Oxford (not Oxford University).
Who: Students under 19 on the deadline, from any country. Students under 15 are judged separately in a Junior category.
What: An essay answering one of the year's questions in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, or law. Students may enter several categories, one essay each.
Cost: Free (an optional late-entry fee applies).
When: Questions and registration usually open in February, with a deadline around late May or June. Registration is required before submitting.
Prizes: Category and Junior winners have received scholarships toward the Institute's programs, and the overall winner a $10,000 scholarship.
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest
The world's largest environmental youth contest in the creative arts, with an annual ocean and climate theme.
Who: Students ages 11 to 18 in middle or high school (or homeschool), anywhere in the world. Junior Division (11 to 14) and Senior Division (15 to 18). Individuals or groups.
What: Creative writing (stories, personal narratives, journalism) and poetry or spoken word, as well as art, film, music, and multimedia.
Cost: Free. Entries need an adult sponsor, such as a teacher or parent.
Deadline: The 2027 contest opened in September 2026 and closes in June 2027. Open now!
Prizes: Cash awards of up to $1,000.
The Queen's Commonwealth Writing Competition
The world's oldest international schools' writing competition, run by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883 and formerly called the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition.
Who: Young people 18 and under who are nationals or residents of a Commonwealth country (more than 50 countries, including India, Nigeria, Canada, Australia, and the UK).
What: One piece of up to 1,000 words in English, responding to that year's theme. Your name and personal details go on the online form, not in the entry file.
Cost: Free.
Deadline: The 2026 competition ran from March 4 to April 30. Expect the next round in spring 2027.
Good to know: Entries must be the entrant's own work. AI-generated content counts as plagiarism.
One Teen Story Contest
From the respected literary magazine One Story, one of the best-known short story prizes for teens.
Who: Writers ages 13 to 19, anywhere in the world.
What: Original, unpublished fiction about the teen experience, in any genre, 2,000 to 4,500 words.
Cost: Free.
Deadline: December 1, 2026. Open now!
Prizes: $500, publication, and the chance to work with an editor before publication.
The Concord Review
A prestigious place for high schoolers to publish history research, with students from more than 40 countries published since 1987.
Who: High school students from any country, writing in English.
What: Long-form, footnoted history research papers on any topic.
When: Four deadlines a year (February 1, May 1, August 1, November 1).
Cost: A submission fee of around $70.
Prizes: The best published essays receive the Emerson Prize, worth around $3,000. Acceptance rates are very low, so this is for serious young historians.
Sejong International Sijo Competition
A lovely option for young writers looking for a challenge: writing a sijo, a traditional Korean poetry form, in English.
Who: Anyone, of any nationality and age.
Deadline: Usually September 30. The 2026 round has closed, but check back for 2027!
Country-specific, English-language opportunities
These are limited to students in (or, in one case, studying the curriculum of) a single country.
United States
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The longest-running recognition program for creative teens in the US, founded in 1923. Past winners include some of America's best-known writers and artists.
Who: Students in grades 7 to 12, age 13 or older, living in the US, US territories or military bases, or Canada.
What: Nearly 30 categories, including poetry, short story, flash fiction, personal essay, journalism, and more. Graduating seniors can also submit a portfolio.
Cost: A small fee per entry and per portfolio, with fee waivers for students who need them.
Deadline: The 2027 portal opened October 1, 2026. Regional deadlines run from December 1, 2026 to early January 2027, so use the site's region locator to find yours. Open now!
Prizes: Regional and national awards, and scholarships for seniors.
NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing
From the National Council of Teachers of English, running since 1957.
Who: High school sophomores and juniors, who ask a teacher or other educator to nominate them.
What: A themed piece plus a sample of their best writing. The 2027 prompt is “The Meaning of Literacy Today.”
Deadline: February 15, 2027.
Prizes: Recognition only, with certificates and public recognition rather than cash, but it’s well respected. NCTE also runs a separate award for eighth graders, Promising Young Writers.
Davidson Fellows Scholarship (Literature)
For exceptional young writers with a substantial body of work.
Who: Writers 18 or younger as of the deadline who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents residing in the U.S.; there’s no minimum age.
What: A significant portfolio of creative writing, entered in the Literature category.
Deadline: Usually mid-February (the 2027 application opens this fall).
Prizes: $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000 scholarships.
United Kingdom
BBC 500 Words
The UK's largest story-writing competition for primary school children, with a grand final hosted by Queen Camilla.
Who: Children ages 5 to 11 living in the UK, in two categories (5 to 7 and 8 to 11).
What: An original story of 500 words or fewer. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are not marked; the judges look for imagination, plot, character, and language.
Cost: Free.
When: Usually opens in late September and closes in early November. The 2025 to 2026 competition received over 46,500 stories.
The Orwell Youth Prize
A social justice writing prize inspired by George Orwell, with a new theme each year.
Who: Students in school years 7 to 13 in the UK, or studying a British curriculum abroad, which makes it a great option for international schools.
What: Any creative or critical form: stories, poems, essays, journalism, and more. Entrants can receive personal feedback on a draft before the final deadline.
Cost: Free.
When: The 2026 deadline was April 29, 2026. Watch for the next theme to be announced.
Prizes: Winners receive £100, a certificate, and Orwell's complete works for themselves and their school, and their writing is published, including in The Observer.
Young Walter Scott Prize
A prize for young writers of historical fiction, linked to the UK's leading historical fiction award.
Who: Ages 11 to 19, full-time UK residents, in two categories (11 to 15 and 16 to 19).
What: 800 to 2,000 words of fiction set in a time before the writer was born, in any form: a story, poem, play, fictional diary, letters, or reportage.
Cost: Free. Each entry needs a supporting adult (a parent, guardian, or teacher).
When: The 2026 deadline was October 31, so the next round will run in 2027.
Prizes: Each category winner receives a £500 travel grant to explore historical places in the UK, and winning stories are published in an anthology.
Australia
Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards
Australia's largest and longest-running poetry competition for school students, founded in 1984.
Who: Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 enrolled in an Australian school.
What: Up to three poems per student, each up to 80 lines, in any form. There is an optional theme each year (2026's was "The Traveller").
When: Usually open from March to the end of June, with winners announced in September.
Good to know: Poems are checked for plagiarism and AI, and either leads to disqualification.
Good luck, and whatever you do, keep writing!
Winning is wonderful, but what matters even more, even if it doesn’t feel like it, is the writing itself. Finishing a piece, polishing it, and sending it out into the world for others to read is something brave and valuable. And doing that, over and over again, builds skills that last a lifetime. If you win a prize, great! If you don’t, move on to the next opportunity and keep trying. Every story written, every poem submitted, builds your chances, and each piece you finish will be better than the last.
And if you’re nervous about submitting, remember this: Your voice matters. Your perspective is unique, even if it might seem commonplace to you. And every editor is hoping to love what you wrote. So share your stories boldly.
For parents and teachers: a contest deadline can be a great reason to start a family or classroom writing project. Pick an opportunity, read the guidelines together, and set a few small writing sessions before the date. Then, whatever the result, celebrate sending in a submission.
Deadlines and rules were checked in November 2026 and change every year. Always confirm the current guidelines on each competition's official website before entering. Know of a great opportunity we missed? Let us know!
Stefan Bachmann
Editorial Director
Stefan Bachmann has worked widely in education, cultural programming, and literacy advocacy for over fifteen years. He is an internationally bestselling author of children’s books, co-founder of Foundations in Literacy, co-president of AUTILLUS, the Swiss Association of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, as well as a member of various advisory boards and committees in Switzerland and abroad. He studied composition and theory at the Zürich University of Arts.
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