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Overview

The National Literary Competition is a writing and American Sign Language (ASL) competition open to all deaf and hard of hearing students in grades 2-12. To participate, students must create original written or ASL submissions in accordance with the year’s theme. The purpose of the competition is to give deaf and hard of hearing students the opportunity to showcase their abilities, as well as instill pride and ownership in their work.

For more information, the Rules and Guidelines manual can be downloaded here.

Download the 2022-2023 NLC Flyer

If you have any questions, please contact us.

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See the Rules and Guidelines manual in the NLC Resources Center.
Please contact us for more information.
The National Literary Competition is an ASL and Writing competition for deaf and hard of hearing students in the United States and Canada.
Submissions and registration is done entirely online. The link to register/submit for the NLC competition can be found on the NLC front page. Students compete as individuals, and there are no teams in this competition.
For American Sign Language (ASL), we have three categories: ASL Poetry, Storytelling, and Presentation. For Writing, we also have three categories: Poetry, Creative Writing, and Essay. More information can be found in the downloadable Rules and Guidelines manual.
Yes, we encourage students to participate in multiple programs, co-curriculars, and academic pursuits.
You can submit one entry in each genre of each category. For example, you can submit an entry each for ASL Poetry and Storytelling, and one in Creative Writing.
For the ASL category, students in the 2nd through 12th grades can participate. For the Writing category, students in the 6th through 12th grades can participate.
You can register as an individual with your parents’ help OR you can register with the assistance of a teacher/ASL specialist at your school.
No. There are no expenses for participants. The competition is free.
You can check out the timeline in the NLC Resources Center.
Alison O'Hara

Youth Programs Coordinator

Competition Information

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Contact Us

National Literary Competition

Jesse Saunders

Peet Hall 412

(202) 651-5000

Monday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Tuesday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Thursday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Friday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Sunday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
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