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’s judges were New York Times–bestselling author and Narrative cofounder/editor Carol Edgarian, poetry editor Michael Wiegers, and guest judge Naomi Shihab Nye, former Young People’s Poet Laureate. Be sure to subscribe to Narrative, or check back here to receive contest updates straight to your inbox!

Our sincere thanks to all students who sent in their poems and to all teachers who submitted on their students’ behalf!

Our submissions covered the globe: indeed, we heard from young poets from thirty-six countries, from Canada to Malaysia, Serbia to Israel, South Korea to South Africa, and Pakistan to Palestine. Within the United States, we heard from young poets in forty-nine states—an amazing outpouring of poetry.

Congratulations to all the students and teachers who participated in this year’s contest. Your work and passion inspired and amazed us.

Here’s a short video featuring last year’s 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 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.