Northern Vermont University and the League of Vermont Writers Announce the 2021-2022 Vermont High School Writing Contest
Northern Vermont University and the League of Vermont Writers announce the 2021-2022 Vermont High School Writing Contest. NVU and the League are co-sponsoring this exciting opportunity for young writers that kicks off September 1, 2021.
The contest is open to all Vermont students in grades 9-12, including those who home school. The deadline for entries is November 15, 2021. Winners will be announced on or about January 15, 2022.
“NVU and the League conceived of the contest to encourage and celebrate the next generation of Vermont writers,” said Tyrone Shaw, professor of writing and literature at Northern Vermont University’s Johnson campus. “Young writers, especially, need encouragement and support. This contest is designed to provide that, as well as recognize the schools and teachers that provide the foundation of their education.”
NVU-Johnson has long offered a bachelor of fine arts degree in creative writing. The League, founded in 1929, is Vermont’s oldest association of writers and has included many prominent Vermont authors over its long history. When the NVU-Johnson writing department decided to revive the contest, Shaw thought that a partnership with the League would be a natural fit.
The League’s president, Shawn Anderson, agrees. “For many decades, the League has provided a vibrant, nurturing community for Vermont writers of all levels. We think that this endeavor will help encourage a new generation of writers and mark the beginning of a wonderful collaboration between NVU, the League, and the Vermont high school community.”
The contest categories are fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and students are free to choose a theme to explore within the 2,000-word limit. One entry per contestant; entries will be judged by three judges in each category.
Winners and runners-up in each category will receive cash awards, a one-year membership in the League, and the opportunity to have their work published in NVU-Johnson’s Green Mountains Review and League Lines, a publication of the League. In addition, NVU will host an on-campus event in early 2022 to honor these students and their schools, teachers, and families.
Entry forms and submission requirements are available at NorthernVermont.edu/HSWritingContest.
Questions? Please contact Tyrone Shaw at Tyrone.Shaw@NothernVermont.edu or Henry Parker at Hank@HankParkerAuthor.com (for the League of Vermont Writers) for more information.