Calling Young Writers: Letters About Literature Texas Contest Opens for 2026-2027

Austin, TX – The Texas Center for the Book is pleased to announce the opening of the Letters About Literature Texas writing contest for 2026-2027. Texas 4th through 12th graders are invited to participate in this annual writing competition.

Students select a book, book series, essay, play, poem, short story or speech and write a letter to an author—living or dead—explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world.

The theme of Letters About Literature is “Read. Be Inspired. Write Back.”

Students may have a strong connection to the theme of the work or with a particular character. They may write about challenging events in their lives that relate to a book they have read.

There are three categories of competition: grades 4-6, grades 7-8 and grades 9-12. The contest is open to all Texas students, including public, private and homeschool.

Expanded Prizes 
The Center also announced expanded prizes this year for school libraries, as well as a new Honorable Mention category. First place winners receive $300. Second place winners receive $200, and third place winners receive $100. Additionally, the Center awards a $300 grant to the school library of each first place winner.

New this year, the school libraries of the second place winners will receive $200 grants; and the school libraries of third place winners will receive $100 grants. In addition, a new Honorable Mention category has been added, where the winners will receive $75, and their school libraries will receive $75 grants. (In all categories, if the winning student is homeschooled, the library grant will go to their local public library.)

First place winners living outside the San Antonio metro area will also receive a travel stipend ($400) to go toward travel to the Texas Library Association Annual Conference in San Antonio in April 2027. The winning students will be recognized in a ceremony at the conference.

The Center for the Book is thankful for funding for this program generously provided by the Texas Library and Archives Foundation.

Application Information
The online submission portal (https://xtexasstatelibrary.submittable.com/submit) will open on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Those who have not entered before will need to create a free Submittable account in order to apply. The deadline is 6:00 p.m. (central) on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2027.

Applications are accepted only through the portal. Students younger than age 13 must also submit a signed permission form to enter the contest.

To learn more about Letters About Literature Texas 2026-2027, including full rules, prize information and submission instructions, visit www.tsl.texas.gov/lettersaboutliterature.

Parents, guardians, educators and public and school librarians are encouraged to promote the contest to their students.

One of 50 state centers affiliated with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the Texas Center for the Book is under the direction of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. For more information contact Michele Chan Santos at mcsantos@tsl.texas.gov or visit tsl.texas.gov/centerforthebook.

###

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information they need to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.