2025 John Estey Student Writing Competition

The 2025 John Estey Student Writing Competition is now accepting entries. Fill out the the Intent to Participate form here before Spring Break!

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

—Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness

This prompt is a quote from Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness and can be used as a first line, a last line, a jumping-off point, an inspiration for your students’ work. They can use the entire quote or portions of it to write a fiction or nonfiction story, poem, song, scene, short monologue or other form of writing. Submissions should be 1,000 words or less regardless of format.

For full details on the competition and to sign up, click here.