Celebrating the craft of writing and encouraging the development of finding one’s voice through the expression of words on a page, this annual prize is usually awarded at the Opening Night of our Book Festival. The winner and four finalists are selected from the essay competition held for high school students.

We believe in the power of words to shape and change lives. Our hope is that our students will find a platform of words and a love of reading to understand that while they may live on an island, there is no limit to imagination.

Inspired by the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, this award was created by Mary Haft to encourage our students to find the courage to write their own stories. Read the 2024 Nantucket Book Festival Young Writer Award winning essays.

Anna Popnikolova
Winner: 12th Grade: “Hey, Computer”
Goshi Gonzalez
1st Runner Up: 12th Grade: “Look in the Mirror”
Alondra Barragan
2nd Runner Up: 12th Grade: “Life and Bullets”
Marley Viselli
3rd Runner Up: 12th Grade: “Panem Et Circenses: The Reality of American Entertainment”
Madison Payne
4th Runner Up: 9th Grade: “Words have meaning”