When I attended the Chicago Book Expo on December 5th, I came across something called Polyphony H.S. I knew “polyphony” means “many voices” and I assumed “H.S.” stood for “High School” but I was not aware of such a school anywhere. When I stopped at their exhibit table, I realized that not all schools are housed in buildings. Schools are wherever we learn.

Celebrating its 10th year, Polyphony H.S. is an international student-run literary magazine for high school writers and editors. The non-profit company that publishes annually in August is based in Evanston, IL. The work that appears in Polyphony H.S. is professional quality, written and edited by high school students from public, private and home school throughout the English speaking world.

Just like their top-of-the-line adult counterparts, Polyphony H.S. awards cash prizes for excellence in poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. The publication’s Advisory Board comprises A-list authors. Among them are Alex Kotlowitz, Chang-Rae-Lee, Stuart Dybek and Scott Turow.

While many high schools produce handsome and creative student publications, Polyphony H.S. elevates and expands the experience for students as authors and editors. Every author who submits a manuscript gets detailed feedback. Every student editor benefits from National Editor Training Workshops.

Alex Kotlowitz says Polyphony H.S. is “A Paris Review for the young. Daring. Provocative. Exhilarating.” For more information, visit the Polyphony H.S. website.