Narrative High School Writing Contest

Welcome to the High School Writing Contest—an invitation to be discovered and to have your voice shared with the world!

This year we invited students to use the prompt “What I Cannot Say, I’ll Say Here” as a springboard to craft a letter (essay) or story of no more than 600 words, or a poem of 10 to 50 lines, and to go to the places that are vulnerable, messy, and authentic. We invited students to write about what confuses or shocks or angers them, to speak truth to power, to ask who they are and what they’re capable of, and to shine a lamp into the darkness.

Our thanks to all the students who sent in their stories, letters, and poems and to all the teachers who submitted on their students’ behalf!

Submissions to our contest cover the globe: indeed, we have heard from young writers across the US and in fifty-five countries, from Canada to Malaysia, Serbia to Spain, South Korea to South Africa, and Pakistan to Peru—an amazing outpouring of new writing.

Congratulations to all the students and teachers who participated in contests from years past. Your work and passion continue to inspire and amaze us.

Here’s a short video featuring recent contest winners, along with guest judge Jericho Brown and Narrative editor Carol Edgarian, as they share their thoughts on inspiration and writing.

Winning pieces in the Narrative High School Writing Contest:

The Tenth Annual High School Contest: What I Cannot Say, I'll Say Here

The Ninth Annual High School Contest: My Note to the World

The Eighth Annual High School Contest: True or False?

The Seventh Annual High School Contest: Blind Spots

The Sixth Annual High School Contest: Escape

The Fifth Annual High School Contest: The Choice

The Fourth Annual High School Contest: The Mistake

The Third Annual High School Contest: When Everything Changed

The Second Annual High School Contest: Dear America

The First Annual High School Contest: Where I’m Going

Are you a student or teacher looking for other resources? Check out our curated reading lists and video tutorials about the craft of writing, featuring bestselling author and Narrative cofounder/editor Carol Edgarian.