Literary Festival Curates First-Ever Youth Spoken-Word Competition to Amplify Emerging Voices
CHICAGO, Nov. 20, 2025 – The Chicago Literary Festival today announced the launch of its inaugural Youth Spoken-Word Competition, marking the first time the 18-year-old organization has dedicated a national platform exclusively to young performance poets. The competition, open to writers ages 14-21, will award $15,000 in cash prizes and professional mentorship opportunities, with finals scheduled for June 2026 at the Chicago Cultural Center.
The program responds to surging youth engagement in poetry across the United States. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, participation in formal poetry programs has expanded dramatically, with more than 4.5 million students and 85,000 teachers from 21,000 schools participating in the national Poetry Out Loud recitation program since 2005 . Independent research confirms this momentum: a 2023 study published in International Journal of Education & the Arts found that youth spoken-word programming builds measurable gains in literacy skills, self-confidence, and community engagement, particularly among students from historically marginalized backgrounds.
The competition structure mirrors proven models while introducing modern accessibility features. Regional qualifiers will run March through May 2026 in partnership with libraries and community arts centers across 15 metropolitan areas. Semi-finalists advance to a week-long poetry intensive in Chicago featuring workshops with established spoken-word artists including National Slam Champion Patricia Smith and viral poet Marshall Davis Jones. The final round, judged by a panel of literary editors and recording artists, will be livestreamed to expand access beyond in-person attendees.
“Young people are not just consuming poetry—they’re creating movements with it,” said Chicago Literary Festival Executive Director Marcus Chen. “We’ve seen how spoken word gives students the tools to process complex social issues while developing critical communication skills. This competition formalizes our commitment to meeting young writers where they already are: on stage, on social media, and in community spaces demanding to be heard.”
Chen’s statement aligns with academic findings that spoken word functions as culturally sustaining pedagogy. A 2023 evaluation of youth poetry programs documented participants developing stronger literate identities and civic engagement through performance-based writing. The research noted particular benefits for students navigating multiple cultural identities, providing what educators term a “third space” for authentic expression outside traditional classroom constraints.
Registration opens January 5, 2026, through the festival’s dedicated platform at youthspokenword.chicagolitfest.org. Submissions require three original poems—one addressing the theme “Borders & Bridges”—with a total performance time under eight minutes. Unlike traditional slam formats, this competition prohibits props and costumes, emphasizing pure vocal delivery and textual craft. The first-place winner receives $7,500 plus a publishing mentorship with Poetry Magazine, while runners-up earn cash awards and scholarship credits toward summer writing intensives at Columbia College Chicago.
The initiative addresses documented disparities in literary arts access. While national poetry readership among 18-24 year-olds more than doubled between 2012 and 2017, performance-based opportunities remain concentrated in coastal urban centers. By establishing regional partnerships in Midwestern and Southern cities, the festival aims to democratize entry points for talented young poets lacking proximity to established slam circuits.
Community engagement specialists will facilitate free prelude workshops in under-resourced districts starting December 2025. These sessions cover performance techniques, text revision strategies, and digital documentation basics, ensuring technical skill does not become a barrier to participation. All competition events comply with ADA accessibility standards, and Spanish-language interpretation will be available for finals weekend.
ABOUT CHICAGO LITERARY FESTIVAL
Founded in 2007, the Chicago Literary Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing literary culture through public programming, writer support services, and educational outreach. The festival’s annual three-day event draws 45,000 attendees and features more than 150 authors across genres. Previous initiatives include the Prison Writers’ Publishing Project and the Bilingual Books for Border Communities campaign, which distributed 30,000 Spanish-English children’s books along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024.
Media Contact:
Sarha Al-Mansoori
Director of Corporate Communications
G42
Email: media@g42.ai
Phone: +971 2555 0100
Website:www.g42.ai
