# Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

College scholarships of up to $10,000 each for six U.S. public high school seniors in fiction, memoir, poetry, spoken word, and freedom of expression, plus a virtual development week with PRH editors.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Organization | Penguin Random House |
| Category | arts |
| Cost | Not listed |
| Deadline | Rolling / check official site |
| Eligibility | Grade 12 |
| Format | Online / virtual |
| Location | Various |
| Apply | https://social-impact.penguinrandomhouse.com/our-awards/u-s-creative-writing-awards/ |

## About this program

# Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

Since 1993, Penguin Random House has awarded more than $3 million in college scholarships to public high school students for original poetry, memoir and personal essay, fiction and drama, and spoken word. Run in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, the competition awards scholarships of up to $10,000 each to six U.S. high school seniors, with honorable mentions receiving creativity kits of PRH titles and writing resources. Named categories include the James Baldwin Award for Fiction, the Michelle Obama Award for Memoir, the Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry, the Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word, and the Chinua Achebe Award for Freedom of Expression, which asks students to write about a banned book that changed their life.

## What You'll Do

- Choose a category and prepare an original submission in that form
- Submit through the awards application when the annual cycle opens
- If selected, take part in the virtual development week held each summer: one-on-one meetings with Penguin Random House editors, networking workshops, a panel on careers in publishing, and fireside chats with PRH authors
- Join the virtual awards ceremony that closes the week

## Who Should Apply

Current high school seniors attending public schools in the United States, including the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, who plan to attend college. An additional first-place prize goes to the top entrant from the New York City area, where the program began.

## Outcomes

Winners receive scholarships of up to $10,000, editorial mentoring during development week, and publication of selected winning entries on the Penguin Random House site; past winners have gone on to become professional and award-winning authors.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is eligible for Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards?

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards is open to high school seniors. Some programs have additional requirements (GPA, coursework, essays, or recommendations) — the full criteria are on the official site.

### Is Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards online or in person?

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards is fully online — students can participate from anywhere with an internet connection.

### How do I apply to Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards?

Apply directly through Penguin Random House's official website. ExtracurricularHub links to the official application — we list and verify programs but don't process applications.

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Last updated: 2026-07-28.
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