Taylor Swift and Scholastic Team for Kids Writing Contest

Posted on October 30, 2014

Grammy award-winning singer songwriter Taylor Swift has been going to Scholastic in New York City since she was a teen. Taylor would speak to other kids about books and writing. Now that she's 24, she says she feels like a big sister or aunt to the kids who come for the discussion sessions.

Taylor says she uses music and reading to shake off things people do or say that hurt her. She says when she was in school, if she got left out of an event or was bullied, she would escape into her favorite books and it would cheer her up. She says that music also helps her shake off those bad things that happen to everyone. That was the inspiration for her chart-topping hit "Shake it Off" which is off of her new album, 1989. Billboard is projecting that the album will sell more than one million copies in its first week of release. That would make it the biggest selling album of 2014.

Taylor and scholastic have teamed up to sponsor the "This is How I Shake It Off!" writing contest which is open to U.S. school children in grades 3-6. Each student must submit a one page creative poem or essay on how they shake off the things that get them down in life.

The prizes are quite nice. The Grand Prize winner gets a trip for two to see Taylor in concert and meet her in person. The second place winner gets a signed guitar and a signed CD of 1989. Five runners-up will receive autographed CDs.The deadline for entry is December 11, 2014. You can find details about the writing contest and Taylor's outreach to kids about reading and self confidence here.

In this clip from the event Taylor talks about books and writing and experiences over the years talking to kids at Scholastic. She also reveals that she would like to publish a book of poetry and possibly a novel. Given all she's accomplished by the age of 24, we have no doubt she will achieve these new goals. Take a look:

You can find more writing contests in our writing contests section.