We would love for your school to participate in the upcoming anthology, Stories of Hope, a collection celebrating creativity, resilience, and the powerful voices of young writers from elementary through high school.

Each participating school will hold a small internal contest and select one standout story and one stand out piece of art to represent them. These chosen stories will be professionally edited, published in the anthology, and featured at the 2026 Louisville Book Festival held October 24, 2026 —where students and families can see the book unveiled and celebrate their achievement. The art piece will be gathered with other winning pieces and the Louisville Book Festival team will choose one final piece to be on the cover of the anthology.

This project offers students:

  • A chance to become published authors & cover artists
  • Experience with the real-world writing, editing, and creating process
  • Encouragement to express themselves creatively
  • Recognition for their hard work at a public literary event
  • Opportunities to build confidence, pride, and excitement about literacy

There is no cost to enter or participate for anyone.

Final stories and art are due April 24, 2026, and we provide all guidelines and submission forms to make the process simple for educators.

We hope your school will join us in giving students this unforgettable opportunity to share their voices and shine.

If you are interested or have any questions, please sign up using the link below:

Sign Up Link

Thank you for supporting young writers and helping us bring this anthology to life. We look forward to working with you and your students!

Guidelines link:

2026 Louisville Book Festival Anthology Guidelines.pdf – Google Drive