Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards (high school seniors)

Penguin Random House is passionate about encouraging the next generation of readers and authors and promoting diverse voices and stories. For over 30 years, Penguin Random House has supported this mission through the Creative Writing Awards, which in 2019 entered into an innovative new partnership with national advocacy nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. Through this program, Penguin Random House will award college scholarships of up to $10,000 each to six public U.S. high school seniors, nationwide.

Eligibility

Applicants to the Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards Program in Partnership with We Need Diverse Books must:

Be current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2026
Be 21 years of age and under
Plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2026
Submit one original literary composition in English in one of the following genres of poetry, spoken word, fiction, personal essay/memoir, or book bans prompt.
- - All submissions must be typed, double-spaced with a minimum 12 point font size and no longer than 10 pages.
  - All submissions with multiple pages must be numbered with a page number and total number of pages (Ex. 1/3, 2/3, 3/3).
  - A four-page minimum is recommended for the fiction genre.
  - Spoken word entries must upload a typed entry along with an emailed audio format file.
  - Only one entry per student may be submitted and considered.
  - Freedom of Expression entries must write about the provided topic.
Book bans are on the rise in America, driven by new laws and regulations limiting the kinds of books young people can access—and books by and/or about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities are disproportionately targeted. Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books believe books change lives, and that everyone deserves to see themselves in a book.

Freedom of Expression Prompt: In the face of these book bans and attacks on free expression, we are celebrating the power of books and stories. Tell us about one banned book that changed your life and why.