Élan celebrates the writing of students between 6th and 8th grades in our annual Middle School Writing Contest. The winner of the contest is awarded a certificate and publication of their work on the Élan website.    

 

Students can submit their writing in any form, including poetry (of any length and style), fiction (of up to 3,000 words), and nonfiction (essays up to 3,000 words). Each student can submit up to three individual pieces.

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Submissions must be sent in via email to elanlitmagazine@gmail.com with “Middle School Writing Contest Submission” and the name of the student in the subject line.

Ex. Middle School Writing Contest Submission - James Smith

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All Contest submissions must include:

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• The first page of the submission should be a cover letter that includes:

  • The writer’s name

  • The titles of the pieces submitted

  • Name of the writer’s current school

  • Sponsoring teacher’s name and email address if applicable. 

  • A brief biography of the writer (2-4 sentences)

Example cover letter​

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• The writer’s pieces may begin on the next page. Each piece should begin on a new page. Have the title of the piece bolded in the upper left hand corner on the first page of each piece.

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• All writing should be typed in a standard 12 pt Times New Roman font.

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• Please indicate in your subject line you are submitting for the contest and clearly label the submissions.

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• If a teacher is submitting on behalf of multiple students, please attach student submissions labeled and clearly indicate the work of each individual student in the document(s).

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Submissions for the 2023 Middle School Contest are OPEN and close on MARCH 1st.​