Nine students from high schools across the country were selected as winners of Bennington College’s 2018/2019 Young Writers Awards, including Kali Puhnaty of Idyllwild Arts Academy, who won second place in fiction for “Moon Fever.”
This annual competition, which accepts entries in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, is free to enter and open to high school students. A first-, second-, and third-place winner is selected in each of the categories, with cash prizes from $125-$500 awarded.
The 2019/2020 Young Writers Awards will officially open on Sept. 15. Sign up to receive notifications about the competition.
Bennington College has a unique literary legacy, including nine Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, countless New York Times bestsellers, and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
In celebration of this legacy, Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote and recognize excellence in writing by high school students.
“It is our great pleasure to discover and empower emerging writers as part of a longstanding commitment to excellence in the written word,” said Interim President Isabel Roche. “We look forward to seeing the work these exceptional students put into the world in the years to come.”
Each year, over 2,000 students submit poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to the Young Writers Awards competition. Bennington College congratulates all entrants on their extraordinary submissions.
