Calling all buccaneers, time-travelers, magicians, cryptozoologists, superheroes, (human) robots, word sleuths, ghouls, oceanographers—and, most especially, young writers:
We’re excited to announce that submissions for 826 National’s 2027 student anthology are officially open!
This year’s theme is Infinite Words.
Infinite Words is an invitation to write about what you want to write about and how you want to write it. Whether you’re unraveling mysteries, exploring the depths of the ocean, imagining the future, telling a story about your everyday life, or playing with the possibilities of poetry or prose, this anthology is a space for your ideas to take shape.
There are no rules about what a story has to be. No limits on where your imagination can take you. Only possibilities.
Young people have infinite stories to tell, but too often, writing can feel like it comes with a set of rules: what a story should look like, what a poem should sound like, what subjects are worth writing about, or whose voices belong on the page.
Infinite Words expands beyond those limits.
Why This Theme, Why Now
It’s a theme that centers a belief at the heart of 826: The truth that young people have powerful, playful, sometimes wildly hilarious, thought provoking and valuable words inside of them. Young people are simply waiting for the invitation and the encouragement to write.
Through Infinite Words, students can:
- Imagine without limits.
- Find and follow the incredible ideas waiting within.
- Tell the stories only they can tell.
- Experiment with language and form.
- Discover the joy of making something new.
Often, the most powerful reason to write is simply to see what happens when an idea becomes words on a page. This anthology is an invitation to embrace the possibilities of writing and to remember that there is no single right way to tell a story.
The words are yours. The possibilities are infinite.
Submission Details
Students: Ready to share your writing with us for a chance to become a published author? For guidelines, optional writing prompts, and links to submit your work, click the button below.
Educators: Ready to share this publishing opportunity with your students? See the guiding prompt, recommended lessons, and submission guidelines on 826 Digital through the button below.
Submissions are open now through December 4, 2026.
We can’t wait to see what you create.