Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

This scholarship program recognizes high school seniors with outstanding creative writing skills who plan to pursue higher education.

Key facts

Funder: Penguin Random House
Status: Upcoming
Next deadline: January 15, 2027
Amount: $10,000
Who can apply: Students
Where: United States (national)
Topics: Arts, Literacy
Official page: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/penguinrandomhouse/
Apply: https://scholarship-america-production.saiapply.org/organization/profile/create?applyToClientReturnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fsai-randomc.saiapply.org%2Fprogram%2Fsai-penguinrandomhouse%2Finfo%3FcycleId%3D1CfJzrFEYsmTMbQbeaYxWf&clientOrganizationId=y0FHy9g-aHMVgJcScJw4EOtIMSDz8hUbYdLt
Last verified: October 13, 2026

Deadline note: Applications close at 3:00 PM Central Time or once 1,000 applications are received.

About this funding

Penguin Random House, in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, offers college scholarships of up to $10,000 each to seven public U.S. high school seniors. These awards support undergraduate study and celebrate young writers across various literary genres, including poetry, fiction, and memoir. Winners also participate in a virtual development week with PRH editors and authors. Payments are distributed over four years.

Eligibility:

- Be current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2027

- Be 21 years of age and under

- Plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2027

- Submit one original literary composition in English in one of the following genres: poetry, spoken word, fiction, personal essay/memoir, graphic novel, or book bans prompt.

- Original compositions must be unpublished works with no previous awards and cannot be from class assignments, college essays, previous contests, or previous submissions.

- Family members, employees of Bertelsmann, Penguin Random House, its subsidiaries, divisions or affiliates are ineligible.

How to apply

Applicants must use the 'Apply' link provided on the page, register or log in to the Student Hub, complete their profile, and apply for the program. The application form and creative entry piece must be uploaded before submission. Spoken word entries require an emailed audio file in addition to the typed entry.

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards?

Students

How much funding does Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards offer?

$10,000

When is the Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards deadline?

January 15, 2027. Applications close at 3:00 PM Central Time or once 1,000 applications are received.