Building on the tremendous success of JCU's Italy Reads program that began in 2009 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), JCU launched Italy Writes, an annual national English-language writing competition for Italian high school students that includes on its panel of judges professors from one of America's most highly-ranked creative writing centers: the University of Iowa's International Writing Program.
The primary objective of the Italy Writes program is to encourage high school students in Italy whose primary language of instruction is not English to write creatively in this language. The opportunity to compete for a prize represents additional motivation. Expressing oneself in writing is an essential skill, and in a second or third language is increasingly valuable. Therefore, in collaboration with a teacher at the school, students can eran up to 10 hours for Formazione Scuola-Lavoro (FSL).
Italy Writes engages high school students in the development of their English creative-writing skills and is open to all students enrolled in Italian or international high schools that do not have English as the primary language of instruction. Students compete annually for awards for the best creative writing piece. This national competition takes place each spring and the winners will be announced in May/June.
FSL recognition for this program is available.
ALL students are encouraged to participate in the contest regardless of their interest in earning FSL certification.
Only original pieces of writing can be submitted to the contest. While students are not encouraged to use AI, those who consult a form of Generative AI must declare any use they made of Generative AI as a tool in the development of their writing and submit in a separate document a list of the prompts used and how they were developed in their engagement with AI in the writing process. Any work that is not original will be excluded from the contest. Resources: Student Guide to AI.
Categories: Fiction (Narrativa), Non-Fiction (Saggistica)
March 1, 2027 — Deadline to submit entries using this Contest Submission Form. The award ceremony will be held online.
Late May/early June — Online award ceremony. Awards will be announced by the Writer in Residence for JCU's Institute for Creative Writing and Literary Translation.
Prizes for each category:
In May, the finalists will be invited to meet online with an instructor in the JCU Writing Center to select a brief excerpt from their work to be read at the Award Ceremony in June.
Students who participate in Italy Writes learn the importance of self-expression in a language that is not their native one. Taking that risk to share one's thoughts in writing is a step toward agency. Students are encouraged to submit their writing to the conest regardless of whether or not they do so for FSL.
Teachers have the option of guiding their students through writing workshops so that they can earn FSL recognition.
According to JCU Professor Carlos Dews, former Director of the Creative Writing Institute, "Finding creative expression in a language other than one's own is an exciting exploration of the emotions at the core of the human spirit."
This program qualifies for up to 10 hours for Formazione Scuola-Lavoro (FSL) (ex. PCTO/ASL, Dlg. 107/15) only if in collaboration with a teacher at their school.
For more information, write to [email protected].
To earn FSL recognition, you must:
FSL certification is based on your evaluation of the student’s participation in writing workshops at school.
When you register a student for Italy Writes for FSL, you will receive access to digital resources that you can choose to use in your workshops with students.
Participation in the Italy Writes Competition is obligatory for your student to receive FSL recognition. You will receive confirmation of the students from your school who submitted their writing by the deadline.
Register your students using the Unique Registration and Request Form.
ALL students are encouraged to participate in the contest regardless of their interest in earning FSL certification.
"There's nothing more satisfying for a teacher than being able to offer students such important opportunities."
— Kate Samuels, teacher at Istituto Paritario Bonifacio VIII, Anagni
"Thank you so much for the experience of being a finalist for Italy Writes 2026! I'll send a part of the money to Tito, so he can continue helping children."
— Priscilla, winner of 3rd place in Non-Fiction for Tito's Life in Gaza, a story of a 16-year-old boy who tries to bring a smile to the faces of children amidst the rubble and hardship in Gaza
Italian high school teachers of English who would like to join the more than 170 Italian high schools already participating in one or more of the other Programs for High Schools offered by John Cabot University are invited to visit Programs for High Schools for information.
Learn more about studying English Language and Literature at John Cabot University in Rome.
Learn more about studying Creative Writing at John Cabot University in Rome.
1st Place Prize (€ 300 gift certificate) to Arianna Cordera, 5th year at Liceo G. Carducci, (Prof. Teresa Prisco) for Numb to Violence.
2nd Place Prize (€ 200 gift certificate) to Zoe Spetrino, 3rd year at Liceo Tito Lucrezio Caro, (Prof. Serena Strianese) for Mafia.
3rd Place Prize (€ 100 gift certificate) to Priscilla Imperio, Liceo Tito Lucrezio Caro (Prof. Serena Strianese) for Tito's Life in Gaza.
Honorable Mention to Arianna Amaduzzi, Liceo Classico Dante Alighieri (Prof. Patrizia Caronna) for Indifference in the Age of Awareness.
1st Place Prize (€ 300 gift certificate) to Camilla Marsico, 3rd year at Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro (Prof. Serena Strianese) for Stilettos.
2nd Place Prize (€ 200 gift certificate) to Thomas Guidi, 3rd year at Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro, (Prof. Serena Strianese) for Nothing to Declare.
3rd Place Prize (€ 100 gift certificate) to Elena Alberigi dei Conti Quaranta, 4th year at Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Aristofane (Prof. Luigi Elvio Lucioli) for Cold as Ice.
Honorable Mention to Gianmarco Acquarola, 3rd year at Liceo Classico Linguistico Immanuel Kant (Prof. Claudia Bidolli), for The Last Bus Home.
1st place (€300 gift certificate) to Ludovica Santoro, 3rd year at Istituto Paritario Bonifacio VIII in Anagni (Prof. Kate Samuels) for Blossoms.
2nd place (€200 gift certificate) to Sanya Noghrekar, 5th year at Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro in Rome, (Prof. Serena Strianese) for Iranian Women’s Condition.
3rd place (€100 gift certificate) to Maria Vittoria Barcaccia Pucci, 5th year at Liceo Ginnasio Statale Dante Alighieri in Rome, (Prof. Patrizia Caronna) for Silent Scars: the Hidden Tragedy of Femail Genital Mutilation.
Honorable Mention to Cristian Dilauro, 3rd year at Liceo Scientifico Statale Isacco Newton in Rome, (Prof. Mary Lovaglio) for The Great Attractor.
1st place (€300 gift certificate) to Giovanni Scatto, 3rd year at Convitto Nazionale Marco Foscarini di Venezia, (Prof. Laura Galante) for Reverse Order.
2nd place (€200 gift certificate) to Aurora Girardi, 3rd year at Liceo Scientifico Statale Isacco Newton in Rome, (Prof. Mary Lovaglio) for Free.
3rd place (tie) (€50 gift certificate) to Jessica Pradal, 3rd year at Convitto Nazionale Marco Foscarini di Venezia, (Prof. Laura Galante) for The Sound of Breathing.
3rd place (tie) (€50 gift certificate) to Caterina Quilici, 5th year at Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro in Rome, (Prof. Serena Strianese) for They Are Listening.
Honorable Mention to Elena Sofia Battisti, 5th year at Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro in Rome, (Prof. Serena Strianese) for Alzheimer.
1st place (tie) (€250 gift certificate) to India Leaci, 4th year at Liceo Scientifico Statale I. Newton in Rome, (Prof. Mary Lovaglio) for Change.
1st place (tie) (€250 gift certificate) to Gianmarco Fedele, 5th year atLiceo ScientIfico Statale Camillo Cavour, in Rome, (Prof. Emanuela Ungaro) for The Choice Of Not Choosing_ Analysis And Awareness In History.
3rd place (€100 gift certificate) to Vittoria Benincasa, 4th year atLiceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro in Rome, (Prof. Serena Strianese) for The Maze of Choices.
Honorable Mention to Flavia Rita Breglia, 4th year at Liceo Scientifico Carlo Pisacane in Padula (SA), (Prof. Angela Pastore) for Beyond the Veil of Time.
1st place (€300 gift certificate) to Giacomo Palladino, 5th-year at Istituto Superiore Liceo Scientifico Carlo Pisacane in Padula, (Prof. Angela Pastore) for Wintry Will.
2nd place (€200 gift certificate) to Eva Pizzamano, 3rd-year atConvitto Nazionale Marco Foscarini di Venezia, (Prof. Laura Galante) for Knight In Camouflaged Armour.
3rd place (€100 gift certificate) to Elena Sofia Battisti, 4th-year atLiceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro in Rome, (Prof. Serena Strianese) for What Needs To Be Remembered.
1st place (€300 gift certificate) to Denise Messina, 3rd year, Liceo Classico Linguistico “Immanuel Kant” in Rome (Prof. Gina Reale) for Madness.
2nd place (€200 gift certificate) to Elena Sofia Battisti, 3rd year, Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro, Rome (Prof. Serena Strianese) for The Start.
3rd place (€100 gift certificate) to Mariia Komohortseva, 5th year, Liceo Classico/Linguistico Statale Tito Lucrezio Caro, Rome (Prof. Serena Strianese) for War Through the Eyes of a Teenager.
1st place (€300 gift certificate) to Thi Thuc Matilde Rosci, 5th year, IIS Blaise Pascal, Pomezia (Prof. Giorgia Proietti) for The Girl from The Yellow House.
2nd place (€200 gift certificate) to Caterina Verdecchia, 5th year, Liceo Ginnasio Statale “Dante Alighieri”, Rome (Prof. Carla Mummolo) for Jivica.
3rd place (€100 gift certificate) to Francesca Di Chiara, 4th year, Liceo Classico Linguistico “Immanuel Kant” in Rome (Prof. Valentina Popa) for The Last Inheritance.
