INTRODUCTION

All 4th-12th graders are invited to participate in Letters About Literature Texas! Read a book or poem and write a letter. This contest opens every November. Be sure to read the submission steps (student or teacher) and official rules set by the Texas Center for the Book at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Submissions will open November 4, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (Central).

In 2019, after administering the contest for 27 years, the Library of Congress (LOC), decided to give state centers full control over their Letters About Literature programs. In Texas, we remain committed to continuing the contest at the state level using the LOC’s rubric, standards, and judging framework. Although there will not be a national prize, we will stick with our Texas tradition of awarding cash prizes to first place winners in all three levels.

In 2023, thanks to the generosity of the Nora Roberts Foundation and the Texas Library and Archives Foundation, participants were eligible for enhanced cash prizes. Prize amounts for our 2023-2024 competition are still being determined and will be dependent upon available grant funding. Find the most up-to-date prizes information on the Letters About Literature Texas Prize Page.

Submissions are open until December 17, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (Central).  Submit your typed letter via the Letters About Literature online submission platform at texasstatelibrary.submittable.com. Please see the rest of the website as a guideline to how the program operates.

The contest is supported by the Texas Library and Archives Foundation (TxLAF). To support the Texas Letters About Literature program, consider donating to TLAF.

Timeline:

• Submittable opens for Letter Submissions: November 4, 2023
• Deadline for Letter Submissions: December 17, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (Central)
• Judging Process: January - March 2024
• Submitters Notified of Placement: By March 30, 2024
• Recognition Ceremony for Winners: April Texas Library Association Annual Conference

CONTEST INFORMATION

To be considered, all letters must be submitted electronically through this online portal by December 17, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (Central). All letters become the property of the Texas Center for the Book.

Students Under 13: Students under the age of 13 (as of November 4, 2022) must obtain and upload signed consent from their parent/guardian to be eligible for entry. The downloadable consent form can be found at www.tsl.texas.gov/lettersaboutliterature/resources.  Entries by/for students under the age of 13 without a signed, uploaded form will be ineligible and discarded.

Teachers: Please go to tsl.texas.gov/lettersaboutliterature to review the online teacher’s resource page for specific tips and to download our free Teacher’s Guide. Teachers may submit class sets online by using one account and completing the online submission from for each entry.

Students: Please go to tsl.texas.gov/lettersaboutliterature to review the online student’s resource page for specific tips on writing and submitting your letter.

Contact Information: You can find our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) here. For additional questions, please contact LettersaboutLit@tsl.texas.gov.  For problems or questions with the Submittable platform, please email letters@submittable.com.

Submitters do not need to sign up for a Submittable subscription at www.submittable.com to make a submission. Instead, if you submit to an organization that uses Submittable, you'll be asked to create a free Submittable account on the organization's submissions pag

As always, there are three categories for contestants:

Level 1 - Grades 4 - 6   
Level 2 - Grades 7 - 8
Level 3 - Grades 9 - 12