The WE READ Youth Voices Writing Contest is open for submissions! Youth 18 and under have the opportunity to get published and to win up to $500 in cash prizes thanks to support from the Madison Public Library Foundation.
Contest Details
Submissions can be in English, Spanish, or Hmong. If you would like to submit in a language other than English, please contact Abigail Ryan at ryana@madisonpubliclibrary.org to ensure a translator for our judges can be acquired.
This annual contest, hosted by Madison Public Library in collaboration with Forward Madison FC and the Wisconsin Book Festival, is for kids in the Madison area. The library accepts submissions in English, Spanish, Hmong and other languages, and writing can be in the form of short stories, songs, poems, comics, graphic novels, and more.
Contest Dates: May 1 - June 30, 2025
2025 Theme: Roots
Age Groups:
- Ages 9 and under | 500 words or less
- Ages 10-13 | 750 words or less
- Ages 14-18 | 1,000 words or less
Authors should limit themselves to their single best piece for submission.
The Prizes
Submissions for the contest are judged by a community panel of judges. Three talented writers will be recognized for their achievements by:
- Being recognized on the field at Forward Madison's game on August 21, 2025
- Receiving a prize package of Forward Madison swag
- Having their stories published in the WE READ Youth Voices Anthology, which will be available in every Madison Public Library location and Madison Metropolitan School District library location across the city
- Featuring them at the Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration.
- Having their work be shared via social media, the Forward Madison FC and Madison Public Library newsletters, and other community channels.
The GRAND PRIZE WINNER also receives a $500 cash prize, while the two runners-up receive $250, and the three age category winners receive $100 each courtesy of the Madison Public Library Foundation. These prizes serve as investments in youth - the winner and their families are left to determine the best way to spend or save the funds.
2025 Writing Contest Theme & Youth Ambassador
The WE READ Youth Voices Writing Contest Youth Ambassador chooses the theme for the contest each year, encourages youth to apply, serves as a judge, and writes the foreword for the WE READ Youth Voices Anthology in the fall.
"We're excited to welcome Justin Festge Russell, Madison's Youth Poet Laureate, as the Youth Ambassador for this year's contest," said Madison Public Library's Youth Services Manager Tammy Ocampo. "Justin is enthusiastic about fostering the next generation of writers in Madison, and he's a shining example of a young person who has accomplished so much by pursuing their creative passions."
Justin Festge-Russell, or JEXIZIS, is the Madison Youth Poet Laureate and a 19-year-old student at UW Madison. Justin specializes in hip-hop, poetry, and creative production. He is also a member of a full tuition Hip-Hop, Activism & Urban Arts Scholarship called First Wave. Justin works with youth to explore and uncover their artistic prowess. He's currently pursuing a degree in education with the goal of impacting the lives of youth with positive direction.
“Inspired by Madison Public Library's 150th Anniversary, this year's Youth Voices Writing Contest theme is all about Roots,” said Russell. “Whether your story is about going back to your roots to examine your personal history and revisit moments that were worth holding on to, exploring moments of conflict where you had to get to the root of the issue, or planting new ideas and growing together from the roots up, we want to hear them!”
Attend the Kick-Off Event
Forward Madison FC vs. Indy Eleven
April 26, 5-7pm (Game starts at 6pm) | Breese Stevens Field
A kick-off event will take place at the Saturday, April 26 Forward Madison FC home game at Breese Stevens Field [917 E. Mifflin St.]. The Dream Bus will be in attendance in front of the stadium to sign people up for library cards, give away free writer's notebooks, and hand out WE READ Youth Voices bookmarks featuring prompts for the 2025 contest theme.
Our Youth Ambassador for the contest, Justin Festge Russell, will attend the game to kick out the first ball, announce the contest at halftime, and share a few words about the theme he’s chosen for the 2025 contest.
WE READ Youth Voices Anthology
Each year, the top 50 stories are collected and published in the WE READ Youth Voices Anthology. The anthology is available at all Madison Public Library locations, as well as at all Madison Metropolitan School District Libraries.
You can read some of the past winning stories online or check out a copy of the anthology from the library to get inspired:
