Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing

What is the Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing?

An annual prize for Young Adult and Children’s Literature. A chance for your YA and Children’s Lit to be read by Hunger Mountain editors and guest judges!

What will the winner receive?

One overall first place winner receives $1,000 and publication!
Three runners-up receive $100 each and publication.  We choose one runner-up from the YA (young adult) entries, one from the Middle Grade entries, and one from the Picture Book or Writing for Young Children entries.

Who can enter the contest?

Anyone! Everyone!

Who is this year’s judge?

The 2011 judge is Kimberly Willis Holt, author of the Piper Reed series, My Louisiana Sky, Mister and Me, Dancing in Cadillac Light, Keeper of the Night, Waiting for Gregory, Part of Me, and Skinny Brown Dog; winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for When Zachary Beaver Came to Town; and winner of the 2011 YALSA BEST FICTION for Young Adults for The Water Seeker.

When is the deadline?

The postmark deadline is June 30th

Where is last year’s winning entry?

Right here! Read “Steve” by Jaramy Conners, chosen by Holly Black.

Or read runner-up in Young Adult fiction, S.E. Sinkhorn’s Chasing Shadows;  runner-up in Middle Grade Fiction Marcia Popp’s The Ugliest Dog in the World; and runner-up in picture book/writing for Young Children Jane Kohuth’s Something at the Hill. 

You might also read the 2009 winner, “Crazy Cat” by Liz Cook, chosen by Katherine Paterson or “Tornado” by Susan Hill Long and “No Mistake” by Tricia Springstubb, two runners-up from 2009.

Does Hunger Mountain accept electronic entries?

Yes! Please enter your original, unpublished piece under 10,000 words. Your entry may be a short story or a novel excerpt, but if it’s a novel excerpt it should really stand alone. Feel free to include a brief synopsis if your entry is a novel excerpt. Your name and address should not appear on the story; we read contest entries blind. Click the link below to access our online submission system. Once in the submission manager, you’ll need to choose “Katherine Paterson Prize” (scroll all the way to the bottom to find it!) Pay the $20.00 entry fee and upload your entry. Please include a cover letter in the comments section, letting us know what age group your piece is intended for: Enter the Katherine Paterson Prize

Does Hunger Mountain still accept Snail Mail entries?

Yes! Please send one original, unpublished piece under 10,000 words. Your entry may be a short story or a novel excerpt, but if it’s a novel excerpt it should stand on its own. Feel free to include a brief synopsis along with your novel excerpt. Include a $20 entry fee. Make checks payable to “Vermont College of Fine Arts.” Entries should be postmarked by June 30th. Your name or address should not appear anywhere on the story itself (we read entries blind.) Instead, enclose an index card with story title, intended age group (YA? MG?), your name, address, phone number, and email address. You may also enclose an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope)  for notification of winners. Entries should be typed, and on one side of the paper only. No staples please! Send entries to:

KPP
Hunger Mountain
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602

Will my entry be considered for general publication as  as well as for the Katherine Paterson Prize?

Yes, it will.

May I enter more than one story in this prize?

Yes. Enter as many as you like! But each entry needs its own entry fee.

Are simultaneous submissions okay?

Yes,  but please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere. And unfortunately we can’t refund entry fees if the work is accepted somewhere else.

I’m a child or a teenager. May I enter this prize?

You may. But your work will be evaluated alongside adult work. This prize isn’t meant for teenagers or for children. If you’re a serious writer, however, you may choose to enter the contest anyway.

What if I have questions that aren’t answered here?

Email us at hungermtn@vcfa.edu

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Enter the Katherine Paterson Prize by clicking here

Thanks for entering the contest, and good luck!