Contest deadline extended to Friday, December 29
The New York Public Library and Teen Vogue announced today the grand prize winner of the Library’s National Teen Writing Contest: Freedom to Read will be published in Teen Vogue. The contest is part of the Library’s Books for All campaign, which launched during Banned Books Week in October and was created in response to the alarming rise in book bans and challenges around the country. The campaign is the largest and longest anti-censorship campaign in NYPL history.
To support this exciting opportunity, the submission deadline for the writing contest has been extended to December 29. To enter, teens nationwide should submit an essay between 500 – 1500 words that answers the question: “Why is the freedom to read important to you?” Contestants must be between 13–19 and can submit entries online at nypl.org/booksforall.
In addition to being published in Teen Vogue, the grand prize winner will receive $500. Twenty finalists will also receive a $250 prize. All winners will have their essays shared in a special issue of NYPL’s Teen Voices magazine.
The writing contest, which is in partnership with 826 National, is part of the Library’s banned book initiative, which highlights the vital role public libraries play in our democracy. The campaign also features a new “Books for All: Teen Banned Book Club” that will run throughout the 2024 school year and provides unlimited nationwide access to select young adult titles that have been the subject of bans and/or challenges to anyone via the Library’s SimplyE app. The first book selected for the book club was Mark Oshiro’s “Each of Us a Desert.” The Library will announce the second book in the series next month.
“At a time of rising book bans and challenges, The New York Public Library is inviting teens from all over the country to make their voices heard in our teen writing contest celebrating the freedom to read. Thank you to Teen Vogue for helping amplify teen voices on this crucial issue, particularly since we know many of the bans and challenges are directly targeting books for young people. The freedom to read is essential to our democracy, and a right we must never take for granted,” said NYPL President Anthony W. Marx.
“Teen Vogue is absolutely thrilled to work together with the New York Public Library on this contest in an era of increased book bans and attacks on education,” said Versha Sharma, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue. “Our mission at Teen Vogue is to educate, empower, and amplify the voices of the younger generation, a mission that feels more vital than ever. We encourage young people from all over the country to submit to this contest, something I definitely would have applied for as a teen myself! We are excited and honored to be partnering with an institution as essential as a public library, and are huge fans of NYPL’s efforts to make banned books available to read to students across the country.”
About The New York Public Library
For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.
About Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue is the young person’s guide to conquering (and saving) the world. The brand aims to educate, enlighten and empower its audience to create a more inclusive environment (both on-and offline) by amplifying the voices of the unheard, telling stories that normally go untold, and providing resources for young people looking to make a tangible impact in their communities. Part of the Condé Nast portfolio, Teen Vogue covers the latest in celebrity news, politics, fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and entertainment.
