51��������

March 26, 2025

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 up to $1,000 awarded.

Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. Finalists who enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. Winners who enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000.

The 2025-2026 Young Writers Awards will officially open beginning on September 1. to receive notifications about the competition. 

51�������� has a unique literary legacy, including twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, countless New York Times bestselling authors, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.

Each year, over 5,800 students submit poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to the Young Writers Awards competition. 51�������� congratulates all entrants on their extraordinary submissions and is pleased to announce the 2024-2025 winning entries.

2024-2025 Young Writers Awards Winners

Poetry

• First Place, “A Great Egret Stands in a Puddle Off the Highway / I Pretend, a Crab Shell, No End / Brother of the Sixth Swan, Working in a Sushi Restaurant,” Allison Kim, Greenville, SC, The Fine Arts Center
• Second Place, “Save Face / Salvation / Chicken Little,” Derek Jiu, Houston, TX, Saint John’s School
• Third Place, “Dog Years / Mid-Autumn Sonata / Breaking News: Ghost of Michelle Go Haunts the Afterimages,” Evan Wang, King of Prussia, PA, Upper Merion Area High School

Fiction

• First Place, "Lepidopterists Dreaming in Chinese," Hoseok (Kevin) Jeon, Seoul, South Korea, Korea International School
• Second Place, "All Set, Thank You," Raya Nepal Gupta, Madaba, Jordan, Kings Academy
• Third Place, "Axiology," Robert Gao, Urbana, IL, University Laboratory High School

Nonfiction

• First Place, “Wither on the Vine,” Michelle Li, Austin, TX, Westwood High School
• Second Place, “L’Hôpital’s Rule; or, Oblivions,” Fiona Jin, Lincolnshire, IL, Adlai E. Stevenson High School
• Third Place, “Hot New Paint Colors for this Season,” Miah Knight, San Mateo, CA, Nueva School