The Thomas Wolfe Short Story for 2026 – “Gulliver: The Story of a Tall Man”
COMPETITION MATERIALS AND GUIDELINES COMING THIS SUMMER, SO STAY TUNED!
Every year, staff at the Memorial choose one of Wolfe’s short stories and develop an accompanying lesson plan, activities, and writing prompts used to inspire students as they create their own short works of fiction.
Winners
First through third place winners are announced for Elementary, Middle, and High School submissions and carry a Cash Prize!
- 1st – $100
- 2nd – $50
- 3rd – $30
Teachers of first place winners also receive $100 to put toward classroom needs and materials.
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial
Annual Student Writing Competition 2025
Short Story & Materials
Download & Print
the 2025 Student Writing Competition Flyer
Competition Details
The contest is designed for Elementary Grades 4 & 5, Middle, and High School students.
Competition materials are sent to local schools and surrounding counties, but all materials, including the story, are posted here on our website and we invite any students to participate!
The new story and materials are LIVE NOW, linked above, and the deadline for submissions is Saturday, September 27th. Winners will be announced Friday, October 17th, and the Memorial will host a hybrid in-person/zoom award ceremony on Saturday, November 1st, to allow all winners a chance to present and give extended family and friends a chance to participate.
We would love to have contributions from all over!
Please reach out to site staff if you have any questions (828) 253-8304, or contact Bonnie Showfety at bonnie.showfety@dncr.nc.gov