WRITING DEMOCRACY
A dystopian & utopian fiction contest
in a collaboration with vote.org, we invited young writers to use DYSTOPIAN & UTOPIAN fiction to express their beliefs about democracy.
Congratulations to our contest winners!
Elementary School Division
Winner: Courage to Change by Preston S.
Finalists: Tiger of Fire by Frankie M., Offline in the Utopian Universe by Clara C.
Middle School Division
Winner: The Savior of Arcbury by Chloe J.
Finalists: Cycles and Cycles by Angelina D., The Single Baobab Tree by Prutha N.
High School Division
Winner: Writing Democracy by Pooja K.
Finalists: Behold the Sun by Sadie T., John Doe by Ayush D. B.
Stories are some of our best tools for creating a more democratic future. For centuries, authors have used utopian and dystopian fiction to envision an ideal version of the US, and caution against falling prey to authoritarianism.
In honor of America’s 250th birthday, we invited young writers in 3rd–12th grades to tell their own utopian and dystopian stories. By harnessing the power of fiction, they shared their ideas about the kind of America they aspire to build in the next 250+ years of our country.
From a group of exemplary stories written by young Americans throughout the country, we selected three standouts. Read the winners’ pieces below.
Calling all educators…
If you’re a teacher, librarian, or community educator, we’d love to support you in bringing a Utopian & Dystopian Fiction unit to your students. Click below to access a Padlet with a 3-session mini-curriculum on Writing Democracy: Utopian & Dystopian Fiction, complete with slide decks and handouts. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our Curriculum & Outreach Manager, Olivia, at oquinn@cosmicwriters.org.