About the Contest
Since 2021, Madison Public Library, Forward Madison, and the Wisconsin Book Festival have partnered to support literacy and encourage youth to use their voices through the WE READ Youth Voices Writing Contest. The competition is for aspiring writers in the Madison area aged 18 and under to submit a short story, poem, song, etc. on a pre-selected topic.
In 2025, writers were encouraged to submit stories on the theme of "Roots." Inspired by Madison Public Library's 150th Anniversary, writers examined their personal histories, revisited moments worth holding onto, explored moments of conflict, and planted new ideas to grow from.
Print versions of past anthologies are available at all Madison Public Libraries and at all school libraries in the Madison Metropolitan School District. Each anthology includes stories from the contests' Grand Prize, Runner Up, and Age Group winners, as well as many additional submissions selected by our panel of judges each year.
2024 - A Celebration to Remember
Young authors who were selected to be in the anthology were invited to attend a special reception during the Fall Celebration of the Wisconsin Book Festival in October 2024. This was the second year we recognized the authors, and we welcomed 150 kids and their accompanying family members on a sunny Saturday morning to the Children's area on the lower level of Central Library.
Each author was invited to sign copies of the anthology, stopped in at a special selfie station with a huge copy of the cover, and were given a ribbon that read "author". They also got to see their work in print for the first time, and were given several print copies of the anthology to take home and share with friends and family. Kids got to make their own buttons and enjoy coloring sheets before the program began, while munching on donuts and sipping beverages (coffee for the adults, and juice for the kids). The program started with some special shoutouts as we read excerpts written by the judges about some of the stories included in this year's anthology, then we got to acknowledge the three age-group winners for the contest with certificates and judges comments. Finally, the grand prize winner and runners up sat down for a brief Q&A to share some of their tips for beating writer's block, what their writing process is like, and divulge the inspiration behind their winning stories!
The 2024 WE READ YOUTH VOICES ANTHOLOGY [download] contains more than 50 stories expressed in formats ranging from poetry to comics to choose-your-own-adventure! Click the link to download the anthology and enjoy the stories created by Madison's youth.
Celebrate Small Heroes (2024)
In 2024, writers were encouraged to submit stories on the theme of Celebrating Small Heroes! Every act of heroism, bravery, or kindness - no matter how small - matters, and more than 125 young writers shared stories of everyday acts of heroism and the impacts they can have.
Moving Forward - Together (2023)
In 2023, writers were encouraged to submit stories on the theme Moving Forward - Together. We encouraged any story, poem, song, or submission that showcased empathy; stories about seeking to understand each other's differences, looking at different perspectives, and moving forward together rather than apart. 144 kids submitted works, with 52 selected for the anthology.
Teamwork (2021)
Young writers across Madison were encouraged to submit stories on the theme of Teamwork - but not to limit their ideas to sport. We encouraged any story, poem, song, or submission, that celebrated a community coming together for a common goal, whether or not they were successful.