The Claudia Ann Seaman Awards for Young Writers were created by the Seaman family in memory of their daughter and sister, a young poet. The CAS Award acknowledges excellence in teen writing in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

​Nominees are selected each year by our editorial staff from the works that have been accepted for publication. A distinguished panel of professional published authors choose one winner each in poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction, to receive a $200 cash award. Two honorable mentions are also selected in each genre category.

Submissions are being accepted for the summer contest.

Please go to our Submit Page to learn more.

Writer Qualifications

• High school students from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit.
• Works must be written in English.
• Submit a maximum of three pieces across the three genres.

Length

• Poetry with up to 80 lines is eligible.
• Fiction and creative non-fiction must be 1,800 words or fewer, double-spaced.
• Submissions that exceed limits will not be accepted.

For more information, visit https://www.polyphonylit.org/claudia-ann-seaman-awards.