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Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College Young Writers Awards

A three-category writing prize from a college known for its writing programme, with scholarship money attached.

Run by Bennington College

Official website Reviews and tips

Key facts

Eligible grades
Grades 9 to 12, worldwide.
Now part of the broader Bennington Young Creators Awards, though the Young Writers Awards continue as their own programme.
Source, checked 2026-09-02
Eligible ages
Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.
Bennington sets eligibility by grade, not age.
Individual or team
Individual
Where it runs
Online · United States, International
Entry cost
FreeThere is no entry fee.
Registration deadline
Submissions for the 2026-27 cycle open 1 September 2026 and close 1 November 2026. 53 days leftBennington publishes the exact deadline each cycle. Confirm on the college's site.
Competition dates
Submissions in autumn, winners announced in the spring.
Difficulty
CompetitiveSerious preparation over a season. Advancing past the first round separates prepared students from unprepared ones.
Prizes
Cash prizes in each category: $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second, $500 for third, and $250 for distinguished submissions, which are recognised by category at each grade level. Winners and distinguished submissions also receive scholarships toward enrolment at Bennington College, and winning work is published.First, second and third place cash prizes in each of the three categories, and winners are considered for scholarships if they later apply to Bennington. Amounts are set each year.

What Bennington Young Writers Awards is

The Bennington Young Writers Awards recognise high school writers in three categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Entry is free, submissions are made online, and winners in each category receive cash prizes plus scholarship consideration at Bennington College. It is a smaller field than Scholastic, which makes it a realistic target for a strong writer who has not yet placed nationally.

How the competition works

Choose one category only. Poetry: 1 to 3 poems with a combined limit of 1,500 words. Fiction: one short story or a standalone excerpt from a longer work, 1,500 words or fewer, or a one-act play under 30 minutes of playing time. Nonfiction: a personal or creative nonfiction essay or standalone excerpt, 1,500 words or fewer. Only one submission per discipline is allowed per student. All entries must be in English.

Eligibility notes

Open to high school students. Check the current rules for international eligibility, which has varied between cycles.

How to register

  1. Read the current rules for word limits and category definitions, which differ between poetry, fiction and nonfiction.
  2. Prepare your submission. Poetry requires a group of poems rather than a single one.
  3. Submit online before the autumn deadline.
  4. Winners are announced in the spring.

Register on the official site

What skills you need

  • Creative writing across genres
  • Revision
  • Selecting a coherent poetry group
  • Working to a word limit

Recommended resources

Past problems and materials

Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entry fee?

No. The Bennington Young Writers Awards are free to enter.

Can I enter more than one category?

Category rules vary by cycle. Check the current guidelines on the official page, which state how many entries are permitted per student.

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