UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Center for the Book presents the 2018 Letters About Literature Contest, a nationwide event sponsored by the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. This contest invites students in three grade levels to write persuasive letters to authors — living or dead — about how a specific piece of literature, such as fiction, nonfiction, a poem or a play, affected them or changed their worldview.
Students in grades four through 12 are invited to submit to the 25th annual Letters About Literature Writing Contest individually or as participants in a class/group assignment, and each state will recognize and award prizes to its winners. Librarians and teachers are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable exercise in reading, reflection and writing by motivating students to write and submit their very best.
Here in Pennsylvania, winners will receive a $200 prize and celebratory lunch with his/her family and other winners’ families near Penn State's University Park campus.
Entries for the 2018 contest will be accepted starting Nov. 1 and must be postmarked no later than Jan. 12, 2018, to any of the three qualifying levels, including level 1 (grades 4-6), level 2 (grades 7-8) and level 3 (grades 9-12).
The Letters About Literature Contest is sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. For entry coupons and participation guidelines, select Pennsylvania from the Letters About Literature information page on the Library of Congress website or review the contest entry form.
The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. Since 2000, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book has been sponsored by the Penn State University Libraries.
In addition to providing space and administrative support for the center’s offices, the University Libraries and the center’s co-sponsor, Dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications Barbara I. Dewey, provide in-kind contributions that include staff and faculty time as well as the Pennsylvania Center for the Book alcove in 201-A Pattee Library.
For more information about the Letters About Literature contest in Pennsylvania, contact Nicole Miyashiro at nmm16@psu.edu or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website, where the 2018 contest winners will be announced in the spring.