Have you ever wanted to be published in Teen Vogue? Well, now’s your chance!
We’re teaming up with The New York Public Library in honor of Books for All, their national initiative inviting communities across the country to stand against book banning and protect the freedom to read. The initiative includes a Teen Banned Books Club, with access to frequently banned titles for anyone in the U.S., as well as a National Teen Writing Contest for people aged 13-19 — with the grand prize-winning essay to be published here in Teen Vogue! Because of the vast increase in book bans and challenges throughout the US, the Library launched “Books For All," in collaboration with the American Library Association and Unite Against Book Bans, to expand digital access to select titles and encourage members of the public, especially teens, to engage in the conversation around book bans and censorship. The campaign highlights the importance of reading and access to knowledge for all. It also underscores the vital role that public libraries play in our democracy.
“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,” Versha Sharma, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue, said. “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.”
NYPL is the largest and most recognizable public library system in the country, with a wide array of services and offerings just for teens. Teen Vogue is renowned for combining youth-focused journalism with robust activism, including covering the Library’s annual Anti-Prom. NYPL provides teens with free spaces to create and explore who they are—including dedicated Teen Centers at select branches across the boroughs they serve, in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. With their Teen Voices magazine, they also give teens a platform to share their unique perspectives with the world, which is why we’re teaming up. There is a significant amount of overlap in our teen audiences. We share a joint base of young people who are empathetic, engaged, and passionate about the issues confronting our country — which includes book bans.
“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,” NYPL President Anthony W. Marx said. “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.”
Below, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about the contest and how you can get your very first Teen Vogue byline.
The writing contest will ask teens around the country: “Why is the freedom to read important to you?”
There will be a selection board of NYPL staff members and Teen Vogue editors.
The grand prize winner will receive a $500 cash prize, and 20 additional essays will receive a $250 prize. Winning submissions will be published in a special issue of NYPL’s Teen Voices magazine, and the grand prize winner will be published on teenvogue.com.
Contestants must be between the ages of 13–19.
December 29, 2023.
Contestants can submit entries online at nypl.org/writingcontest.
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