The goal of the Highland Park Literary Festival is to inspire and encourage students, teachers, and the community to celebrate language in its artfully written, spoken, and sung forms. We believe that literary writing, distinct from other written forms, offers unique insight into and articulation of human experience and has its value not only in the story that it tells, but also in how the story is told. Consequently, the Festival showcases and provides access to professional writers who offer substantive artistic content through either fiction or nonfiction, and who can offer guidance or inspiration with respect to the craft and the appreciation of literary writing.

In 1995, the Highland Park Literary Festival was born from a collaboration between interested parents and the English Department of Highland Park High School in Dallas. The goal of the HP Literary Festival is to inspire and encourage students to celebrate language in its artfully written, spoken, and sung forms.The Literary Festival is categorized as a 501(c)3 organization and your tax deductable contributions are greatly appreciated.

At the heart of the festival are over 60 workshops between students and accomplished novelists, journalists, poets, songwriters, and playwrights. Also, at a student-run open-mic night, students perform their own works. A writing contest and special awards breakfast recognizes outstanding student works of poetry, fiction, and narrative non-fiction.