Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards 2026
The Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards 2026 are now accepting applications. This prestigious program aims to encourage the next generation of readers and authors while promoting diverse voices and stories. For over 30 years, Penguin Random House has supported this mission through the Creative Writing Awards, which, since 2019, have been in partnership with the national advocacy nonprofit We Need Diverse Books.
📅 Opportunity Details
- Date Published: October 6, 2025
- Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
- Category: Undergraduate, College
- Opportunity Location: United States
✍️ About the Awards
Penguin Random House will award college scholarships of up to $10,000 each to six public U.S. high school seniors nationwide. The awards aim to celebrate creativity and diversity in writing.
🎁 Benefits
Awards will be distributed as follows:
- $10,000 Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word
- $10,000 Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry
- $10,000 James Baldwin Award for Fiction
- $10,000 Michelle Obama Award for Memoir
- $10,000 Chinua Achebe Award for Freedom of Expression
- Up to 100 Honorable Mention recipients will receive a “Creativity Kit” gift from Penguin Random House.
- An additional $10,000 first-place prize will be awarded to the top entrant from the NYC area.
Professional Development Week
Penguin Random House hosts a virtual development week each summer for the Creative Writing Awards winners. This immersive experience includes:
- One-on-one virtual meetings with PRH editors
- Networking workshops
- A panel on career opportunities in publishing
- Fireside chats with PRH authors
- Amplification and celebration of winners via social media and local media outreach
The six scholarship winners are encouraged to actively participate in the professional development week and engage in media outreach.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Applicants to the Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards Program in Partnership with We Need Diverse Books must:
- Be current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating in Spring 2026
- Be 21 years of age or under
- Plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school in Fall 2026
- Submit one original literary composition in English in one of the following genres:
- Poetry
- Spoken word
- Fiction
- Personal essay/memoir
- Book bans prompt
- Ensure all submissions are:
- Typed, double-spaced, with a minimum 12-point font size
- No longer than 10 pages
- Numbered with page numbers and total number of pages (e.g., 1/3, 2/3, 3/3)
- Freedom of Expression entries must write about the provided topic.
- Only one entry per student may be submitted and considered.
- Spoken word entries must include both a typed entry and an emailed audio file.
- A four-page minimum is recommended for the fiction genre.
📅 Application Date and Process
- Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
- Click on the link to the application website to apply.
🌐 Scholarship Application Portal
- $10,000 Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word
- $10,000 Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry
- $10,000 James Baldwin Award for Fiction
- $10,000 Michelle Obama Award for Memoir
- $10,000 Chinua Achebe Award for Freedom of Expression
- Up to one hundred (100) Honorable Mention recipients will receive a “Creativity Kit” gift from Penguin Random House.
- An additional first-place prize of $10,000 to the top entrant from the NYC area.
- Virtual development week for winners including one-on-one meetings with PRH editors, networking workshops, and more.
