Letters About Literature - Center for the Book

A banner with a serrated edge and and a flower pattern all in a light purple color showing a flower in the center and the text in Letters About Literature Texas 2025 2026

The Texas Center for the Book plans to open the 2026-2027 Letters About Literature Texas contest on November 2, 2026.

Texas 4th through 12th graders are invited to participate in this annual writing competition.

Students select a book, book series, essay, play, poem, short story, or speech and write a letter to an author—living or dead—explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world.

The theme of Letters About Literature is “Read. Be Inspired. Write Back.”

Students may have a strong connection to the theme of the work or with a particular character. They may write about challenging events in their lives that relate to a book they have read. The possibilities are limitless, and the Center looks forward to reading this year’s entries.

There are three categories of competition: grades 4-6, grades 7-8, and grades 9-12. The contest is open to all Texas students, including public, private, and homeschool.

We are excited to announce expanded prizes this year for school libraries, as well as a new Honorable Mention category.

First-place winners receive $300. Second-place winners receive $200, and third-place winners receive $100. Additionally, the Center gives $300 grants to the school libraries of each first-place winner.

New this year, the school libraries of the second-place winners will receive $200 grants; and the school libraries of third-place winners will receive $100 grants.

In addition, we have a new Honorable Mention category, where the winners will receive $75 and their school libraries will receive $75 grants. (In all categories, if the winning student is homeschooled, the library grant will go to their local public library.)

First-place winners living outside the San Antonio metro area will also receive a travel stipend ($400) to go towards travel to the Texas Library Association Annual Conference in San Antonio in April 2027. The winning students will be recognized in a ceremony at the conference. See the 2026 winners.