Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) Creative Writing program, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, has launched the inaugural Tennessee’s Emerging Creative Writers Contest to encourage writers in high schools across the state and support aspiring literary voices.
The contest is accepting submissions through March 2nd and will recognize writers from all high school grade levels. Nine winners will be selected from among freshmen, sophomores, and juniors—one from each grade level in poetry, fiction, and personal essay categories. Five senior finalists will be chosen, with two receiving $1,500 scholarships to attend Austin Peay State University.
Winning students will be celebrated during the inaugural Zone 3 Writers Festival on April 13th, 2025 at 10:00am in the APSU Art + Design Building’s Heydel Hall.
“I’m excited for the competition to be a way to foster the creative voices of Tennessee students and celebrate them at APSU,” said Dr. Raymond Deeren, co-coordinator of the Creative Writing program. “For the festival, I am eager to see the student interns work with each other, the university, and local businesses to create a festival that showcases them and their broader literary community.”
Submission deadline for all grades (9th – 12th): March 2nd, 2025
Submission links: https://ceca.submittable.com/submit/313478/tennessees-emerging-creative-writers-contest
