essay competition 2022 november

This year you are asked to include TWO digital photographs that you have copied from any of this year's posted topic Reources or similarr resources that has influenced your Proposal. One of the photographs should help support the argument you make in your Proposal as to an issue you believe needs to addressed in providing housing for the disadvantaged. The other photograph should help support the argument you make for the proposed response. A brief caption - 50 words maximum - should accompany the photograph telling us what the photo represents and the source of the photograph.  Please post the photograph at a minimum 500 pixels wide, and in .jpg format. No more than two photographs will be accepted.

NOTE: The Readers are instructed not to add or detract points from their evaluation because of the quality of the photograph itself, nor whether it is the students' work or an archival photograph. The Readers, however, will evaluate how the photographs help support the argument you have made in your Proposal.

Judging for the essay competition is on a numeric system. The members of the BERKELEY PRIZE Committee are asked to evaluate each essay in terms of the following criteria:

Each criterion is given a score of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). The approximately 25-28 top-scoring Proposals become Semifinalists, who will be offered the opportunity to write a 2500-word Essay based on the Proposal..

There is a total prize of 35,000USD, minimum 8,500USD first prize.  The remaining purse is to be allocated at the discretion of the Jury.

By submitting your essay, you give the Berkeley Prize the nonexclusive, perpetual right to reproduce the essay or any part of the essay, in any and all media at the Berkeley Prize’s discretion.  A “nonexclusive” right means you are not restricted from publishing your paper elsewhere if you use the following attribution that must appear in that new placement: “First submitted to and/or published by the international Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence ( www.BerkeleyPrize.org ) in competition year 20(--) (and if applicable) and winner of that year’s (First, Second, Third…) Essay prize.” Finally, you warrant the essay does not violate any intellectual property rights of others and indemnify the BERKELEY PRIZE against any costs, loss, or expense arising out of a violation of this warranty.

Registration and Submission

You (and your teammate if you have one) will be asked to complete a short registration form which will not be seen by members of the Berkeley Prize Committee or Jury.

REGISTER HERE.

Additional Help and Information

Essay  COMPETITION

2024 global essay prize, the short list for the 2024 global essay prize was released on wednesday, 31 july..

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton, under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, former Cambridge philosopher, Dr Jamie Whyte.

The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories - Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law - and then select the winner of the Grand Prize for the best entry in any subject. There is also a separate prize awarded for the best essay in the junior category, for under 15s.

Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?

Q2. Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?

Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?

Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?

Q3. When is compliance complicity?

Q1. What is the optimal global population?  

Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?

Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?

Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?

Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?

Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?

Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?

Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?

Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?

Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why?

In the original version of this question we misstated a statistic. This was caused by reproducing an error that appeared in several media summaries of the study. We are grateful to one of our contestants, Xinyi Zhang, who helped us to see (with humility and courtesy) why we should take more care to check our sources. We corrected the text on 4 April. Happily, the correction does not in any way alter the thrust of the question.

Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?

Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?

Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?

Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?

Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

JUNIOR prize

Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?

Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?

Q3. Is there life after death?

Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise? 

Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?

Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies? 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 is open to students from any country.

Registration  

Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Friday, 31 May 2024 may enter this year's competition.

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on  the submission deadline: Sunday, 30 June 2024 .  Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). 

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself. 

Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email referees to verify that the essays submitted are indeed the original work of the candidates.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.  To submit your essay, click here .  

Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities.  

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted  before 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 10 July 2024.

To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information.

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to London for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. 

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in London, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes. 

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2024.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2024.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2024.

Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024.

Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024.

Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, regrettably, we are unable to respond to questions whose answers can be found on our website.

If you would like to receive helpful tips  from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or reminders of upcoming key dates for the 2024  essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. .

Thanks for subscribing!

The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition. 

We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners - including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars - read and carefully assess every entry. 

I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize or commendation, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize. 

We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you.

I hope to see you in September!

Best wishes,

Jamie Whyte, Ph.D. (C ANTAB ) 

Chairman of Examiners

Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay?

A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay. 

Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted. 

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? ​

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay? ​

A. You  may not  include footnotes, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely.​

Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it?

A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible.

Q. How strict are  the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. 

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category?

A. Yes, you may.

Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay?  

A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual.

Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay?

A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for  any  purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. 

Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence. 

Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay?

A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them.

However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them. 

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? ​

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. But if we invite you to London it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? 

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in London will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to London, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay? 

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed.

A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s).

Q. Why isn't the awards ceremony in Oxford this year?

A. Last year, many shortlisted finalists who applied to join our invitation-only academic conference missed the opportunity because of capacity constraints at Oxford's largest venues. This year, the conference will be held in central London and the gala awards dinner will take place in an iconic London ballroom. 

TECHNICAL FAQ s

Q. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do?  

A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again.

Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do?

A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database. ​ ​

Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email?

A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSION

If you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following.

If so, please proceed as indicated.

1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year.

2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line.

SUBMITTING AN ESSAY

3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line.

4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error.

7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US.

Do not email us before you have tried the specified solutions to your problem.

Do not email us more than once about a single problem. We will respond to your email within 72 hours. Only if you have not heard from us in that time may you contact us again to ask for an update.

If you email us regarding a problem, you must include relevant screen-shots and information on both your operating system and your browser. You must also declare that you have tried the solutions presented above and had a good connection to the internet when you did so.

If you have tried the relevant solution to your problem outlined above, have emailed us, and are still unable to submit before the 30 June deadline on account of any fault of the John Locke Institute or our systems, please do not worry: we will have a way to accept your essay in that case. However, if there is no fault on our side, we will not accept your essay if it is not submitted on time – whatever your reason: we will not make exceptions for IT issues for which we are not responsible.

We reserve the right to disqualify the entries of essayists who do not follow all provided instructions, including those concerning technical matters.

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Writing Contests, Grants & Awards

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The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

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Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction

A prize of $12,000 is given annually for a novel published during the current year that asks readers “to engage with or reflect on the complexities of the U.S. South.” The...

American Literary Review

Literary awards.

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in American Literary Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Using only the online submission...

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Changes Press

Poetry book prize.

A prize of $10,000, publication by Changes Press, and 50 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. The winner will also receive an all-expenses-...

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Fiction contest.

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American Poetry Review

Honickman first book prize.

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Short fiction competition.

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Zoetrope: All-Story website is given annually for a short story. The winner and finalists are considered for representation by...

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Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Students      >      Essay Contests      >     Atlas Shrugged

✓    Open to all high school, college, and graduate students worldwide.

Annual Grand Prize

Dec. 27, 2024

Winter Entry Deadline

Book Length

Interested in participating?

Fill out the contact form below, and we’ll email you with more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter.

Thank you for signing up!

We’ll email you more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter. In the meantime, please let us know at [email protected] if you have any questions. We’re happy to help.

What is Atlas Shrugged?

The astounding story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did.

Tremendous in scope, breathtaking in its suspense, Atlas Shrugged is unlike any other book you have ever read. It is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit.

How It Works

Every three months there is a new seasonal entry round, with its own unique essay prompt. You may compete in any or all of these entry rounds.

The top three essays from each season will be awarded a cash prize. The first-place essay from each season will advance to compete for the annual grand prize.

The first-place essay from each season will be eligible to contend for the annual first-place title, with the opportunity to secure a grand prize of $25,000.

Challenging Essay Topics

Each entry round features a unique topic designed to provoke a deeper understanding of the book’s central themes and characters.

Essays must be written in English only and be between 800 and 1,600 words in length.

Questions? Write to us at [email protected] .

• Summer Prompt
• Fall Prompt
• Winter Prompt

Over the course of the novel, Hank Rearden struggles to resolve a dramatic internal conflict. What are the conflicting premises or ideas in his soul, and how does he eventually resolve this conflict? In what way does Rearden’s conflict represent the conflict within the best of American businessmen, and a central conflict in American culture? Judging from how Rearden resolves his conflict, how do you think the author might propose resolving the cultural conflict?

The story of the Twentieth Century Motor Company is about how a private business and its employees voluntarily decide to adopt a supposedly moral plan. What are the ideas, especially the moral ideas, that lead to the company’s destruction? How can we see these ideas at work in business, culture, or politics today? Explain how you think their consequences will be similar to, and/or different from those suffered by the Twentieth Century Motor Company.

Grand Prize

Master our grading standards.

Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. 

Our graders look for writing that is clear, articulate, and logically organized.  Essays should stay on topic, address all parts of the selected prompt, and interrelate the ideas and events in the novel. 

Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Organization

Understanding, contest timeline, discover the power of atlas shrugged.

Atlas Shrugged  is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

And what you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

Learn more and request a free digital copy of the book today.

Learn from Past Winners

Curious to know what makes for a winning essay in the Atlas Shrugged   contest? Check out some of the essays written by our most recent grand-prize winners. 

To varying degrees, they all display an excellent grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Click here to see the full list of 2022 contest winners.

Jacob Fisher

Graduate Student

Stanford University

Stanford, California

United States

Mariah Williams

Regis University

Denver, Colorado

Nathaniel Shippee

University of Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

Samuel Weaver

St. John’s College

Annapolis, Maryland

Patrick Mayles

Graduate student

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Christina Jeong

College Student

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Improve Your Writing Skills

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback for essays submitted to its contests. However, we do recommend the following resources as ways to improve the content of your essays.

The Atlas Project

Writing: a mini-course.

Sign Up for Contest Updates!

Want to stay up-to-date on any new developments to the contest? Sign up to our email list below.

We’ll send you periodic reminders about the contest deadlines, as well as helpful resources to ensure you get the most out of your experience reading and writing about Ayn Rand’s  Atlas Shrugged .

Great! Let's get you a copy of the book.

Atlas Shrugged is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

What you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

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We've received your request for a free copy of Atlas Shrugged and will be emailing you details on how you can access it shortly. In the meantime, are you ready to begin the entry process?

Please enter your password below, either to create a new account or to sign in to your existing account for the contest. Once you're logged in to your account, you'll be able to save your entry progress and return later to complete it.

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Now that you've logged in to your account, let's get you started on your entry for the contest. It's OK if you haven't finished reading the book or writing your essay yet. We'll save your progress for you to continue later.

Then, when you're ready to submit your essay, just return to our platform. Your saved entry will be right where you left off. So, why wait? Take the first step, and start your entry today.

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Young Writers Awards

About the young writers awards.

Bennington College has given many of our nation’s foremost writers their start. They include twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, and authors of countless New York Times bestsellers. In celebration of this legacy, Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote outstanding writing achievement at the high school level. High school students worldwide are invited to enter. 

Young Writers Awards Contest

Students in the 9th–12th grades can submit poetry, a short story, or an essay by November 1. A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category and awarded cash prizes and scholarships.

Academics at Bennington

Literature studies at Bennington are grounded in the idea that good writers are good readers. Bennington undergraduates can apply to participate in the Bennington Writing Seminars, one of the best respected MFAs in writing, through the Undergraduate Writing Fellowship.

Literature Outside the Classroom

As the steward of the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, Bennington is committed to maintaining and growing Robert Frost’s literary legacy in Southern Vermont and beyond.

Throughout the year, Bennington College welcomes prominent writers and alumni to campus for events like readings by the Ben Belitt Distinguished Visiting Writer, Literature Evenings, Poetry at Bennington, and the Writers Reading Series.

Students at Bennington are invited to contribute to SILO, the student literary and arts magazine. Bennington Review, a national biannual literary journal based at the College, provides students an opportunity to help edit and produce a professional print literary magazine.

Join Us At Bennington

Explore what a Bennington education can offer.

Essay Contest

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to encourage the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers.

Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: 

High School:  students and home-schooled students enrolled at the high school level during the contest year

College/University:  students enrolled in at least six credit hours of course work at a junior college, college, or university during the contest year

• Graduate School:  students enrolled during the contest year in at least three credit hours of graduate course work at a college or university leading to an advanced degree 

Membership in JASNA is not required to enter the contest.

2024 Contest Topic

Resolved: That Jane Austen’s novels are still relevant and speak to us after 200 years .

In the first part of the essay, students were instructed to  attack this claim; in the second part defend it, backing up each position with quotations and examples from Austen’s works. High school students had to cite at least one novel; undergraduate and graduate students were expected to cite at least two. Citing Austen’s unfinished works was also permitted.

Submissions

The deadline for submissions was  June 1, 2024 . Come back this fall for the 2025 Essay Contest topic and rules; we will begin accepting submissions in February 2025.

Essay Contest Awards

• First Place:    $1,000 scholarship, plus free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s upcoming Annual General Meeting . (Transportation to the conference is not provided.)
• Second Place:    $500 scholarship
• Third Place:   $250 scholarship 

Winners also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen's novels. 

Please review the   Essay Contest FAQs . If you still have questions, please contact Meg Levin at   essay-contest@jasna.org . Use “JASNA Essay Contest” in your subject line.

Submission Guidelines ›

Learn about Essay Contest rules and formatting requirements.

Essay Contest FAQs ›

Get answers to frequently asked questions about the contest.

Winning Essays ›

Read the insightful essays that placed first, second, and third in past Essay Contests.

Support for the Essay Contest is provided by the J. David Grey Fund in honor of JASNA's co-founder.

“I am fond of superior society.”

Pride and Prejudice

About JASNA

The Jane Austen Society of North America is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA is a nonprofit organization, staffed by volunteers, whose mission is to foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius.  We have over 5,000 members of all ages and from diverse walks of life. Although most live in the United States or Canada, we also have members in more than a dozen other countries.

©2024 The Jane Austen Society of North America, Inc. All rights reserved.

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• Additional Resources

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• Tags: Fiction Writing , Novel , Short Story

Writing competitions are vital for any poets and writers who want to be successful. But it’s important to know which poetry competitions, short story contests, and nonfiction contests are worth the effort. So we took a deep dive into the web, looking for the writing contests in 2022 that are both exciting and dependable.

Suffice it to say, you won’t find any sham contests in this list!

Writing Contests in 2022

We love bringing you useful information that can help you along in your writing career. In fact, as your editors and proofreaders , we consider it our duty! So, w e have brought you only the best poetry competitions and the most exciting nonfiction contests.

Whether you’re a poet or a writer, the themes and challenges you’ll find here are sure to make your writing juices flow!

Along with the usual poetry competitions, short story contests, and nonfiction contests, we have a mixed contest category. These contests are open to both poets and writers, accepting entries in multiple genres.

If you can’t find entries for December, don’t worry! We’ll add those as new competitions are declared and more writing contests in 2022 go live. So, make sure to keep an eye out on this page!

Without further ado, let’s begin our list of writing contests in 2022.  

September 2022

The month of September has a good mix of short story competitions, poetry contests, book writing competitions, and nonfiction contests. While we couldn’t find an essay contest for you this month, there are several mixed competitions that feature the nonfiction category.

Short story contests 2022

1. the face project  .

Each day, the organizer uploads an oil portrait. You have to write a story on this image and send it as your submission. This unique contest allows you to submit up to 28 stories!

Word limit: 1,000

Prize: Feature in a unique art publication

Entry: Free!

Closing date: 04 September 2022

2. Women’s Fiction Competition 2022 – Short Story  

The short story contest is organized by Mslexia . All shortlisted stories will appear in an ebook anthology while the four finalists will be published in the December 2022 edition of Mslexia .

Word limit: 3,000

Prizes: £3,000, three prizes of £100

Entry fee: £12

Closing date: 19 September 2022

3. The Booksie 2022 Short Story Competition

This short story contest is organized by Booksie, an online writing platform. The organizers are looking for stories to make them “laugh, cry and see the world in a slightly different way.”

Word limit: 5,000

Prizes: $500, two prizes of $100

Entry fee: $5.99

Closing date: 24 September 2022

4. Henshaw Short Story Competitions

The short story contest is organized by the Henshaw Press. For a fee of £14, you can get critiques from the competition judges after the results have been announced.

Word limit: 2,000

Prizes: £200, £100, £50

Entry fee: £6

Closing date: 30 September 2022

5. Writer Contest – Writers of the Future  

This is the most influential story contest in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. It has three quarterly winners and one yearly winner, who receives a grand prize of an additional $5,000.

Word limit: 17,000

Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500

Poetry contests 2022

6. 20 syllable poem contest.

This poetry contest invites you to create powerful poems in 20 syllables. Do you think you’re up for the challenge?

Word limit: 20 syllables 

Prize: $100

Entry fee: $9

Closing date: 10 September 2022

7. One Page Poetry Contest – 2022  

This poetry contest invites poets to submit a single page of poetry. Aside from this, there are no regulations of genre, style, or theme on the entries.

Word limit: None

Prize: $2,000, $1,000, $500

Entry fee: $95

Closing date: 20 September 2022

8. Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2022  

The poetry competition will be judged by Joshua Bennet and Victoria Kennefick. Winners will read their entries alongside judges at the prize-night celebrations!

Word limit: 45 lines

Prizes: £2,000, £1,000, £500  

Entry fee: £5

Closing date: 26 September 2022 

9. Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

The poetry contest awards one top prize for a poem in any style or genre and another for a poem with rhyme. Soma Mei Sheng Frazier and Michal Jones will judge the contest.

Word limit: 250 lines

Prizes: Two prizes of $3,000 and ten prizes of $200

Entry fee: $20

10. Patricia Eschen Prize for Poetry

This poetry contest is sponsored by the Dennis Myner Trust. Entry is free, but limited to one entry per person. Katrina Naomi and Penelope Shuttle are the judges.

Word limit: 41 lines

Prizes: £1,000, £500, £300

Book writing competitions 2022

11. tales by moonlight novella competition  .

The novella writing contest invites entries written in the genre of fantasy with magic as theme. The winner will be determined by audience voting!

Theme: Magic

Word limit: 15,000–20,000

Prize: $1000

Closing date: 15 September 2022

12. New Memoir Award  

This memoir writing competition asks you to send a 300 word overview of your memoir along with the entry. As you’re longlisted and shortlisted, you’ll be asked to submit more words.

Word limit: 5,000–8,000

Prizes: £1,500, £750, three prizes of £150

Entry fee: £24

13. Miller Williams Poetry Series and Prize

Organized by the University of Arkansas Press, this prize is awarded to the best book of poetry. The organizers are looking for poems that “vivify and disturb.”

Word limit: 60–90 pages

Prize: $5,000  

Entry fee: $28

14. The XJ Kennedy Poetry Prize  

Texas Review Press has organized this poetry competition every year since 1998. It awards one poet with a publishing contract, a $10,000 advance against royalties, and 20 copies of the book. 

Word limit: 50–100 pages

Prize: $10,000  

Mixed: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction contests

15. wild atlantic writing awards  .

This flash fiction and nonfiction contest will be held in two separate categories. The top ten stories in each category will be published on the Ireland Writing Retreat website with the writers’ permission.

Genres: Flash fiction and creative nonfiction

Theme: Beauty

Word limit: 500

Prizes: €500 and a coupon of €1,000 per category

Entry fee: €10

Closing date: 09 September 2022

16. The Moth Nature Writing Prize  

This competition invites poets and writers to submit entries in the genre of nature writing. The winning entry will be published in the winter issue of The Moth .

Genres: Not specified

Word limit: 4,000

Prize: €1,000

Entry fee: €15

17. Olga Sinclair Prize 2022  

This writing competition invites poets and writers to submit their entries with no limitations of genre or style. They usually set a theme for their contest, but have decided against it this year.

Prizes: £500, £250, £100

Entry fee: £9

18. Dreamers Flash Fiction and Nonfiction Contest  

This flash fiction and nonfiction competition is organized by Dreamers . The winning story will be published in the December 2022 issue of the magazine.

Genres: Flash fiction and nonfiction

Word limit: 300–1,000

Prizes: $150 CAD

Entry fee: $15 CAD

October 2022

While the month of October is dominated by flash fiction and short story contests, it also features a decent number of poetry competitions. After a thorough search, we have also found a nonfiction contest for this month!

Short fiction competitions 2022

1. sas fiction contest 2022-2023.

Organized under the Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival, the short story contest welcomes queer stories. Top ten finalists will be published in an anthology, for which there will be a book release party.

Theme: Saints and sinners

Word limit: 3,000–7,000

Closing date: 01 October 2022

2. TWFest Fiction Contest 2022-2023  

The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival has organized this short story competition. It is open to only unpublished authors, so writers who have self-published are not eligible.

Word limit: 7,000

Prize: $1,500

Entry fee: $25

Closing date: 02 October 2022

3. Bath Flash Fiction Award  

This flash fiction competition is currently open for its July to October round. 50 longlisted entries will be offered publication and the published writers will receive a free print copy of the anthology.

Word limit: 300

Prizes: £1000, £300, £100, two  prizes of £30

Entry fee: £25

Closing date: 15 October 2022

4. Creative Writing Contests – Calvino Prize  

The fiction writing contest is organized by the Creative Writing Program at the University of Louisville. You may submit up to 25 pages of any piece of fiction.

Word limit: 25 pages

Prizes: $2000, $300

5. The Raven Short Story Contest  

The short story contest is organized by Pulp Literature and the winning entry will be published in the Spring 2022 issue of the magazine. The contest has an early bird entry fee of $15, so hurry up!

Word limit: 2,500

Prize: $300

Early bird deadline: 15 September 2022

6. TWFest Very Short Fiction Contest 2022-2023  

The flash fiction writing contest is open to writers who haven’t published a book of short fiction yet. The winning entry will be published in New Orleans Review Archive Features.

Prizes: $500

Entry fee: $10

Closing date: 16 October 2022

7. The GBP Short Story Prize 2022/23

The Galley Beggar Press has organized this short story competition for both published and unpublished writers. Shortlisted entries receive £200 while the longlisted one receive gift vouchers.

Word limit: 6,000

Prizes: £2500, some prizes of £200, and others

Entry fee: £10

8. Letter Review Prize for Short Stories  

Letter Review has organized this short story competition to provide an opportunity for fiction writers. All longlisted and shortlisted writers have a chance to get published with Letter Review.

Word limit: 400–3,000

Prizes: $600, $250, $150

Closing date: 31 October 2022

9. Fiction Factory Short Story Competition  

The short story contest welcomes entries on any theme. The winning entry will be published on the website and published in an anthology at a later date.

Prize: £500

Entry fee: £7

10. The Larry Brown Short Story Award

Pithead Chapel has organized this short story contest. Five finalists will be published in the January 2023 issue of the magazine. Don’t forget to attach a cover letter with your entry!

Prizes: $500, $50, $50

Entry free: $10 

Poetry competitions 2022

11. martha richardson poetry prize 2022.

Ballarat Writers has organized this poetry contest to celebrate the poet Martha Richardson. I will publish the winning entry on their website in December 2022. 

Theme: Inflate

Word limit: 40 lines

Prizes: AUS $1,000, AUS $400, AUS $100

Entry fee: AUS $20 per poem

12. 2023 Peter Porter Poetry Prize

This is one of Australia’s most respected poetry contests. It awards single-authored poems in memory of the late Australian poet Peter Porter.

Word limit: 70 lines

Prizes: $6,000 AUD, four prizes of $1,000 AUD

Entry fee: $25 

Closing date: 03 October 2022

13. SAS POETRY Contest 2022-2023

The poetry contest invites LGBTQ+ poets around the world to submit their entries. One entry may consist of up to 2–4 poems. Top finalists will be published in a poetry chapbook.

Theme: Family

Word limit: 400 lines

Entry fee: $20 

14. TWFest Poetry Contest 2022-2023  

The poetry competition invites entries with up to 2–4 poems. It is open to poets who haven’t published a book of poetry. Writers who have published in other genres are eligible to enter.

Prize: $1,000

Entry fee: $15 

15. Anthology Poetry Award 2022  

Organized by Anthology , the poetry competition awards a top poem with the cash prize and publication. The organizers advise you to go through earlier issues to learn about the type of material they publish. 

Theme: Dreams

Prize: €500

Entry fee: €15 

16. National Poetry Competition  

One of the world’s most prestigious contests, it runs alongside the Peggy Poole Award, which will award one poet from North West of England, mentorship from a judge of this competition.

Prizes: £5,000, £2,000, £1,000, £200

17. Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award  

Red Hen Press has organized this competition, awarding an unpublished book of poetry with a cash prize and publication. The winner also receives a four-week residency at PLAYA residency.

Word limit: 48–96 pages

Prize: $3,000

Nonfiction contests

18. 2022 nonfiction contest.

The contest is organized by EVENT magazine. The organizers urge writers to explore the form of creative nonfiction. Entry to the contest comes with a one-year subscription of the magazine.

Prizes: $1,500, $1,000, $500

Entry fee: $34.95

19. Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Contest

WOW! Women on Writing has organized this essay writing contest. You may opt for a critique from the judges by paying a fee of $25. The entries are limited to 300, so don’t waste any time!

Word limit: 200–1,000

Prizes: $500, $300, $200

Entry free: $12 

Book writing contests

20. grindstone 2022 novel prize.

Send the first 5,000 words of a manuscript longer than 50,000 words in length, targeted to adults or young adults. All longlisted works will be forwarded to top agencies in the UK.

Prizes: £1,000, £500, four prizes of £125

Entry fee: £16

21. The Megaphone Prize  

This writing competition invites debut writers of color to send their short story collections. It also allows 25 fee waivers for writers with low income. Award-winning writer Deesha Philyaw is the judge.

Word limit: 35,000–80,000

22. Novel Opening & Synopsis Award

The novel writing contest invites you to submit one chapter of your novel with a synopsis. Your novel need not be completed or published to qualify for the award.

Word limit: 3,000 words; an additional 750 words for synopsis

Prizes: £500, £200

23. Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize   

This writing competition is organized by The Missouri Review . The organizers invite poets and writers to submit entries in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. 

Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry

Word limit: 8,500

Prizes: Three prizes of $5,000

24. 2022 Short Story and Poetry Competition  

The competition invites poets and writers to send their entries in two categories. Both categories feature three contests, which increases your chances of winning! The contest also has a lower fee for full-time students.

Genres: Short story and poetry

Word limit: 3,000 and 40 lines

Prizes: £1000, £200, £100 per category

Entry fee: £7.5 per story/poem

25. She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing  

She Writes Press has organized this writing contest to recognize two BIPOC women writers with publication packages and a 500 book print run. The contest also welcomes trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer people.

Genres: Fiction and nonfiction

Word limit: 50 pages

Prizes: Publication packages

Entry: Free! 

26. SaveAs Writers’ International Writing Competition 2022  

The writing contest invites poets and writers to submit entries that display a link to any mythology. The contest celebrates the centenary of the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses .

Genres: Fiction and poetry

Theme: Myth

Word limit: 3,500 for short story; 60 lines for poetry

Prizes: £200, £100, and £50 for both categories

Entry free: £3 for poetry; £4 for story 

27. The Bedford Competition  

The writing competition is open to all international poets and writers over 17 years of age. The organizers donate the proceeds from the contest to charities that support literary and literacy skills.

Word limit: 3,000 for short story; 40 lines for poetry

Prizes: £1,000, £300, and £200 for both categories

Entry free: £7.5 for poetry or story 

November 2022

We’ve found some interesting contests for you in November, including a travel writing contest and a six-word contest! We managed to jot down two nonfiction contests this time around, and they’re both in the genres of creative nonfiction.

Flash fiction contests 2022

1. the smokelong quarterly award for flash fiction  .

The grand prize winner of this flash fiction writing competition will be automatically nominated for several other influential prizes. You may submit entries in other languages as long as it’s accompanied by an English translation!

Prizes: $2,500, $1,000, $500, multiple prizes of $100

Entry free: $12 / $14

Closing date: 02 October / 15 November 2022

2. Fiction Factory Flash Fiction Competition  

The writing competition is organized by Fiction Factory and welcomes entries in all genres except children’s and young adult literature. 

Prizes: £300

Closing date: 30 November 2022

3. New Writers Flash Fiction Competition 2022  

The organizers of this flash fiction competition invite you to submit works of fiction of any genre, style, or theme. All entrants can submit up to three entries.

Word limit: 300 

Prizes: £700, £200, £100

4. Flash Fiction Competition  

This quarterly flash fiction contest will start accepting entries on the 1st of September. All longlisted entries stand a chance to be published in the contest anthology!

Word limit: 180–360 

Prizes: £1,200, £600, £300, £150

Starting date: 01 September 2022

Short story contests

5. western writing contest.

FanStory has organized this short story competition for stories with Old West themes. The contest has a limit of one entry per writer, and all writers receive feedback on their submission. 

Word limit: 2,000–5,000

Closing date: 29 November 2022

6. ServiceScape Short Story Award 2022  

ServiceScape has organized this short story competition to help new writers reach bigger audiences. All genres and themes are welcome, and the winning story will be published on their blog.

7. Fish Short Story Prize  

This year, Sarah Hall will judge the esteemed short story competition. Ten winners will be published in the Fish Anthology 2023. The top two winners also get additional prizes!

Prizes: €3,000, €300, €300, seven prizes of €200, and more

Entry free: €20

8. Brick Road Poetry Book Contest  

This poetry contest is open to book length poetry manuscripts. The winning entry receives a publishing contract, and other finalists will also be considered for publication. 

Prizes: $1,000 and 25 copies of the book

Entry free: $30

Closing date: 01 November 2022

6. Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry 2022  

The poetry competition by Reed Magazine “celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet.” You may submit up to five poems in one entry.

Word limit: None 

Closing date: 02 November 2022

8. Sonnet Poetry Contest  

This poetry contest invites poets to submit sonnets in iambic pentameter, the way Shakespeare wrote it! The organizers have provided detailed instructions on the kind of sonnet they accept, so make sure to go through those!

Word limit: 14 lines 

Closing date: 06 November 2022 

9. Cafe Writers Poetry Competition  

Cafe Writers has organized this poetry contest and it will be judged by Jennifer Wong this year. The contest offers a fee concession for UK poets with a household income of less than £16,000.

Prizes: £1,000, £300, £200, £100, five prizes of £50

Entry free: £4 per poem

Closing date: 14 November 2022

10. Lune Poetry Contest  

This poetry competition has been organized by FanStory. Lune is known as the American Haiku and is written in three lines. All poets receive feedback on their submission.

Word limit: 13 syllables 

Closing date: 16 November 2022

11. Minute Poetry Contest  

A minute poem has three four-line stanzas that follow a “8,4,4,4” syllable structure. So the poem is twelve lines in total, written in strict iambic meter. Are you ready to take on the challenge?

Word limit: 60 syllables 

Closing date: 22 November 2022

12. Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition  

Munster Literature Centre has organized this poetry contest, to be judged by Suji Kwock Kim. The top prize comes with a featured reading at Cork International Poetry Festival and all finalists will be published in Southword .

Prizes: €2,000, €500, €250, ten prizes of €50

Entry free: €7 per poem

13. Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction 2022  

The nonfiction contest invites writers to submit stand-alone essays of creative nonfiction. It is organized by Reed Magazine and accepts only unpublished work.

Word limit: 5,000 

Prize: $1,333

Closing date: 12 November 2022

14. True Story Contest  

The nonfiction contest is organized by FanStory. The organizers ask you to submit a true story that will “allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts.”

Book writing competitions

15. the caledonia novel award.

The novel writing contest invites you to send the first 20 pages of your manuscript along with a synopsis of 200 words. They have some sponsored entries for writers with low income.

Word limit: 20 pages

Prize: £1,500

16. Bath Children’s Novel Award  

Leading literary agents in the genre of children’s fiction judge this contest in search of “potential rather than perfection”. Junior Judges, aged up to seventeen years old, will select the shortlisted entries!

Prize: £3,000

Entry fee: £29

17. Quill Prose Award  

This competition awards queer people’s writing in the genre of fiction or nonfiction. The organizers seek to “work against the negative politics of labeling while honoring and empowering authors who identify as queer.”

  Word limit: 25,000

18. Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Competition  

This mystery novel competition invites writers to send published manuscripts that revolve around murder or other serious crimes. This is a great opportunity for self-published writers!

Word limit: 65,000

Prize: $10,000

Mixed: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction contests

19. six word wonder contest 2022.

This eccentric contest invites poets and writers to compose anything in under six words: a poem, a story, a memoir, or even a joke! It allows you to send up to six entries at once, so why not take the chance?

Word limit: 06

Prize: £100

20. Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest  

The writing competition is organized by Tadpole Press. Write a hundred words without the constraints of genre or theme, and see where you end up! 

Word limit: 100

Prize: $1,000 and others

December 2022

We’ll keep adding to this list as the year passes and more contests go live with a December deadline. For now, these are our entries for this month, and poetry contests outnumber all others!

Short fiction contests

1. 7 day story writing challenges  .

The short story contest runs every seven days, and those registered are assigned a genre and a secret theme. Writers who register don’t need to re-register for a new cycle of the contest.

Prize: £500 

Closing date: 31 December 2022

2. Flash Fiction Competition  

Flash 500 organizes this flash competition as a quarterly open-themed contest. The competition “truly reflects the skill required to encapsulate an entire story in just 500 words.”

Prizes: £300, £200, £100

Poetry competitions

3. four line poem contest.

The organizers of this poetry competition want you to write a four line poem with this syllable structure: 1, 5, 5, 9. All poets receive feedback on their submission. Think you’re up for the challenge?

Word limit: 20 syllables

Prize: $100 

Closing date: 22 December 2022

4. The Moth Poetry Prize  

This is one of the biggest poetry contests awarding a single unpublished poem. Nobel Prize-winning poet Louise Glück is the judge this year. The winner will be announced at a special award ceremony at Poetry Ireland in Dublin.

Prize: €6,000 

Closing date: 31 December 2022 

5. Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Contest

This is the 41st bi-annual poetry contest Blue Mountain Arts has organized. Poets are invited to send both rhyming or non-rhyming poems, but the organizers have a preference for non-rhyming poetry.

Prizes: $350, $200, $100 

6. The Poetry.com Contest  

The platform organizes monthly poetry competitions where all participants vote for the winning entry. Every month, the organizers offer five free entries for poets who can’t pay the entry fee.

Word limit: 75 lines

7. 2023 Poetry Competition  

The Society of Classical Poets has organized this poetry contest, inviting poets to submit their entries with a meter. The organizers encourage rhyme and other traditional techniques, but they’re not required.

Word limit: 108 lines

Prizes: $2,000

Entry free: $20

Nonfiction contest

8. free writing competition – my writing journey  .

This essay writing contest invites you to submit entries on the given theme. The winning entry will be published on The Writers College blog and newsletter. Send the essay in the body of your email, and not as an attachment!

Theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received

Word limit: 600

Prizes: $200

9. Orna Ross Green Stories Novel Prize  

The writing competition invites novels that engage with green solutions and raise awareness about “the necessary transformations towards a sustainable economy”. Send three chapters from your novel with a synopsis.

Word limit: 4,000–10,000

Prizes: £1000, £500

Closing date: 01 December 2022

10. Chimera Fantasy Awards

This fantasy book writing competition is in its inaugural year, inviting unpublished and self-published writers to submit the first 20,000 words of their manuscripts along with a synopsis. The 12 shortlisted entries will be published on their website!

Word limit: 20,000

Prizes: £2500, £1200, £600

11. First Crime Novel Competition   

The novel writing contest is open to writers who haven’t yet published a book, but self-published authors are eligible to enter! Just make sure the manuscript you’re submitting hasn’t been self-published.

Word limit: 40,000–66,000

Closing date: 16 December 2022

Mixed contest

12. 2023 work anthology  .

Unleash Press has organized this writing contest, inviting poets and writers to submit entries about “the job you loved… The job you loathed… The job that told you about yourself.”

Genres: Essay, fiction, drama, poetry

Theme: Work

Prize: $150

Entry free: $10

We hope this list of writing contests in 2022 got you excited to write some poems, stories, or essays, and win some prizes.

If you happen to win any of these contests, be sure to inform your editors! In case you don’t win any, remember that it’s not the prizes that are important, but the writing practice you’ll get out of this experience.

For now, dear poets and writers, good luck!

Found this article helpful?

11 comments on “ A List of Writing Contests in 2022 | Exciting Prizes! ”

Hello! Is it possible to have a flash fiction competition added to this list? If so, can you please add Pigeon Review’s contest here?

Hi Nathaniel! The flash fiction contest has been added. Thanks for reaching out to us!

Love the article. A great set of contests!

Great job on the list, I can see you’ve curated the best contests for us. Especially love the poetry contest entries…

Nice job ! What about travel writing and opinion pieces, plays and screenplays ?

Hi Shipra! We’ll be sure to look for these contests and add them in the next round. Thanks for your suggestion!

Please add more December competitions..

The Chimera Fantasy Awards are in their inaugural year, offering prizes of £2500, £1200 and £600 to self-published and unpublished fantasy novelists. Entrance fee is just £6.

Hi Lukas! We’ve added the fantasy contest to the list. Good luck on your inaugural year! We hope it’s a huge success.

This is a great oppotunity thank you

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Essay Contests

Dare to read, think, speak, and write.

Almost from the earliest days of the Naval Institute, its essay contests have been one of its most important functions.

On 13 June 1878, with Commander Alfred Thayer Mahan as acting Chair, the Naval Institute adopted rules for the first essay contest — the General Prize Essay Contest. This contest continues to this day.

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Shortlisted candidates will attend an online Final Presentation & Defense judged by academics from the University of Oxford and Cambridge. They will also be granted an opportunity to publish their papers and travel to Oxford for an Awards Ceremony and Dinner. The winner will be offered a free spot to attend one of the Oxbridge Academic Programs by WorldStrides in summer 2023.

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

1.  The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

3. National Youth Foundation Programs

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

4.  American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

5.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes. ADVERTISEMENT

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

6. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

10.  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

11.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

12. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

13. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

14. The Black River Chapbook Competition

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

15. YouthPlays New Voices

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

16. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

18. NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

19. See Us, Support Us Art Contest

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

21. National PTA Reflections Awards

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

22. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

23. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing..

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Best 2024 Competitions for Students in Grades K-12

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Best Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 425 contests that match your search.

National Poetry Competition 2024

The Poetry Society

Genres: Poetry

The competition, run by The Poetry Society since 1978, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Judged by Stephen Sexton, Romalyn Ante, John McAuliffe. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+.

Additional prizes:

Runners-up receive £2,000 and £1,000. Commended entries receive £500

💰 Entry fee: $8

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024

The Reedsy Prompts Contest

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

The Heartland Review Open Calls

The Heartland Review

Genres: Poetry and Fiction

The Heartland Review publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The contest is open to established and emerging writers. Submissions are free, and the next open calls will begin in December 2024. A contributor copy is provided to published authors.

Publication in The Heartland Review. 1 contributor copy for published works

📅 Deadline: December 01, 2024

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Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Learn more about Reedsy Studio .

Natural Disaster Threat Contest

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Natural Disaster Threat Contest received submissions globally, focusing on creativity and research. Winning stories will aid in developing simulation games for future threat preparedness.

2nd: $2,500 | 3rd: $1,000 | Publication on CAPTRS website. Runners up and honorable mentions were recognized.

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

Poets & Writers, Inc.

Genres: Fiction and Poetry

Poetry manuscripts should not exceed 10 pages, single or double-spaced (minimum of seven pages). Fiction manuscripts should not exceed 25 pages and must be double-spaced. Fiction manuscripts may include stories and/or excerpts from novels.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

WOW! Women on Writing Summer 2024 Flash Fiction Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, and Short Story

Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity and great writing and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. Guest Judge: Tom Bromley, Head of Learning at Reedsy

$600 cash, Reedsy's How to Write a Novel class ($1249 value), $25 Amazon Gift Card

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Poetry Contest

Third Wednesday

Each year Third Wednesday awards 3 $100 prizes in its annual poetry contest. For this year's contest, entries will be accepted from November 1, 2020 through February 15, 2021. We will accept contest entries of up to 3 previously unpublished poems of any style and subject matter. There is no limit on length.

print copy of the 3rd Wednesday contest issue

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

2024 International Literary Prize

Hammond House Publishing

Genres: Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The 2024 International Literary Prize invites writers to submit entries in four categories: Short Stories, Poetry, Scriptwriting, and Songwriting. The contest emphasizes anonymity in submissions and offers cash prizes, publication opportunities, and feedback options.

1st prize for Short Story and Poetry: £1000 1st prize for Scriptwriting: £500 1st prize for Song writing: £250

2nd and 3rd prizes for all categories: £100 and £50 respectively, along with publication for all shortlisted entries.

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction

Reed Magazine

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The contest recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, awarding $1,333 for creative nonfiction entries, such as personal essays. Submissions must be stand-alone essays, not previously published, and limited to 5,000 words.

All contest entrants receive a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: November 01, 2024

Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest

Moment Magazine and Karma Foundation

The Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest invites unpublished stories that focus on themes relating to Judaism or Jewish culture. Established in 2000, it has featured renowned judges and offers cash prizes for outstanding works.

Up to three prizes may be awarded.

💰 Entry fee: $25

The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.

Publication by Red Hen Press

💰 Entry fee: $30

The 2022 First Chapter Book Contest

TheNextBigWriter, LLC

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.

Gold contest badge.

📅 Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)

Ethos Literacy Annual Short Short Story Contest

Ethos Literacy

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The challenge: write a story using 100 words on one of four topics. Open to all ages with a special prize for authors 14 years or younger. The contest supports nonprofit literacy programs.

6 cash prizes of $100 each; publication in digital magazine, inclusion in webcast

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2024 (Expired)

Oxford Poetry Prize

Partus Press Ltd

The Oxford Poetry Prize is an annual competition for a single poem in English. The prize opens on May 1, 2024, with a deadline of August 31, 2024. The guest judge for this year is Rachel Long. Winners receive cash prizes and publication in Oxford Poetry.

Second: £200 Third: £100 Publication offered to all winning poets.

ReadWrite Strategies Funny Workplace Anthology Contest

ReadWrite Strategies

Genres: Humor and Non-fiction

This contest invites submissions of humorous stories centered around workplace experiences. It aims to compile an anthology that reflects the lighter side of work life.

2nd: 200 and print copy | 3rd, 4th, & 5th: $100 and print copy

📅 Deadline: December 18, 2023 (Expired)

Voice.club Monthly Flash Fiction Contest

Soft Designs, Inc.

The contest encourages participants to submit one fictional story (max 350 words) for a chance to win a prize. The contest requires a minimum of 10 shortlisted submissions to award a prize, which is a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

$25 USD Amazon Gift Card

Publication

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024 (Expired)

Geminga: $250 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art

Sunspot Lit

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, Short Story, and Novella

Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. With Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art, Sunspot Lit honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less.

Publication in digital and print

Short Story Competition 2024

Write the World

The Short Story Competition 2024 invites young writers aged 13-19 to submit original works. This competition is designed to encourage creativity and promote writing skills among teenagers.

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Winner features on the blog and social media.

📅 Deadline: November 25, 2024

Christian Writers' Awards

Xulon Press

Genres: Christian

The Christian Author Awards recognizes preeminent new Christian authors who are independently published. Xulon Press, host and sponsor of the Christian Author Awards, is excited to once again extend the opportunity to Christian authors to have their work recognized and given due credit. The Christian Author Awards exists to honor exceptional books written by Christian authors like you that are published independently by nontraditional publishers.

Xulon Press Elite Publishing Package valued at $8,780

📅 Deadline: September 21, 2021 (Expired)

Shiny Dime Writing Challenge

Write of Passage

Genres: Non-fiction

The Shiny Dime Writing Challenge encourages participants to compress their best ideas into concise writing. Over ten weeks, participants will learn to uncover unique ideas and share them with a community of writers. The challenge is based on the concept that simplicity and specificity can enhance the impact of communication.

Free access to our 5 week writing bootcamp (a $4000 dollar value)

💰 Entry fee: $3,995

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

Killer Nashville

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.

💰 Entry fee: $79

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024 (Expired)

Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry

Lynx House Press

The Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. author, along with foreign nationals living and writing in the U.S. and U.S. citizens abroad. The prize includes $2000 and publication.

💰 Entry fee: $28

📅 Deadline: June 16, 2024 (Expired)

Inspiring Fiction's Crime and Speculative Fiction Contest

Inspiring Fiction

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Mystery, Science Fiction, and Thriller

Inspiring Fiction’s first crime and speculative fiction short story contest is on the theme ‘Secrets’. The winner and shortlisted entries will be published in the fourth issue of Tangled Web Magazine.

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)

Colorado Gold Writing Contest for Unpublished Writers

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards Contest is aimed at unpublished writers of novel-length fiction, offering feedback and exposure to literary agents and editors. It encourages diverse voices and celebrates various genres.

Winner receives official certificate, trophy, and reading during the conference luncheon. Three finalists receive $50, certificate, and pitch session with agents.

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

💰 Entry fee: $11

Autumn House Poetry Contest

Autumn House Press

For the 2023 contest, the Autumn House staff as well as select outsider readers serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is Toi Derricotte. The winner receives publication of a full-length manuscript and $2,500.

Book publication | $1,000 honorarium | $1,500 travel/publicity grant

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

Personal Essay Competition 2024

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

The Personal Essay Competition invites young writers aged 13-19 to submit personal essays. Participants can showcase their writing skills while receiving feedback from peers and experts.

Best entry: $100

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Winners receive cash prizes and a feature on Write the World's blog and social media.

The Porter Fleming Literary Competition

The Morris Museum of Art

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Script Writing

Welcome to the 2024 Porter Fleming Literary Competition, now in its twenty-ninth year of recognizing outstanding writing and writers. The competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming, one of Augusta, Georgia’s leading citizens and foremost philanthropists. The competition is administered, with the support of the Porter Fleming Foundation, by the Morris Museum of Art, the first museum in the country to focus on the art and artists of the American South. Writers, ages 18 and older, who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C are invited to apply.

2nd place: $500 3rd place: $250 Prizes available in each of the four genre categories

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Ambroggio Prize

Academy of American Poets

The Ambroggio Prize is a $1,000 publication prize given for a book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. The winning manuscript is published by Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe, publisher of literary works, scholarship, and art books by or about U.S. Hispanics.

Publication by Bilingual Press

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

Flash Fiction Competition 2024

Genres: Flash Fiction and Short Story

The Flash Fiction Competition invites teens aged 13-19 to explore their storytelling skills. Participants can share original flash fiction pieces and gain recognition from guest judges. This competition is part of a monthly series, offering an opportunity for writers to showcase their creativity and talent.

Runner up: $50, Best Peer Review: $50 Recognition and potential publication on Write the World’s platforms.

📅 Deadline: August 26, 2024 (Expired)

The Killer Nashville Claymore Award

Genres: Fiction and Novel

Every year, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. While we cannot guarantee that winners and finalists of this award will receive publication, dozens of winners & runners-up of the Claymore award have gone on to find great success in their careers and many of them attribute that success to this award.

Publishing contract

Discounted admission to Killer Nashville, introductions to agents/editors

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition 2024

Swansea University Cultural Institute on behalf of The Rhys Davies Trust

The competition welcomes unpublished short stories (max 5,000 words) by writers born or living in Wales. The 2024 guest judge is Rebecca F. John.

Publication in short story anthology | 11x Runners Up: £100 and publication in short story anthology

Fusilli Flash Fiction

Fusilli Writing

Genres: Flash Fiction

Flash fiction competition for stories up to 200 words with a twist. Competition always open, with a winner announced and published online after 50 entries received (story count on website). Entry fee: £2.50, winner receives £30 plus publication on the website. All shortlisted entries get their entry fee refunded.

£30 + publication on website

Social media promotion

💰 Entry fee: $3

Passager Poetry Contest

The Passager Poetry Contest is open to writers aged 50 and older, inviting submissions of up to 5 poems (maximum 40 lines each). The contest provides a platform for showcasing poetic talent among mature writers, with the winner featured in the Passager Journal.

Winner receives publication and a featured interview. All honorable mentions are published.

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

2025 Book Prize

Unleash Press

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, and Short Story

The 2025 Book Prize awards a winning manuscript with a $1,000 advance and a standard contract from Unleash Press. Accepts novels, poetry collections, short story collections, and creative nonfiction. The competition is open now until December 1, 2024.

Standard publishing contract for the winner. Finalists will be considered for publication.

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: December 02, 2024

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

• "How to Craft a Killer Short Story" ( Click here )
• "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel" ( Click here )
• "Understanding Point of View" ( Click here )
• "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" ( Click here )
• "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" ( Click here )
• "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" ( Click here )

On Editing:

• "Story Editing for Authors" ( Click here )
• "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" ( Click here )
• "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" ( Click here )
• "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" ( Click here )
• "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" ( Click here )
• "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" ( Click here )
• "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" ( Click here )

Bonus resources

• 200+ Short Story Ideas ( Click here )
• 600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You ( Click here )
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors ( Click here )
• Story Title Generator ( Click here )
• Pen Name Generator ( Click here )
• Character Name Generator ( Click here )

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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Arts and Digital Experience

Take Your Digital Experience to the Next Level

Experience Your Victories

Nation-wide essay writing competition.

CLOSING DATE: WEDNESDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2022 (MYT)

THIS COMPETITION IS OPEN TO PUBLIC Ages 15 to 25.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were tabulated in 2015 for a safer, cleaner, and more prosperous world by 2030.

As an individual, what can we do to contribute to the SDGs?

Share with your thoughts in the most innovative way and grab a chance to win exciting cash prizes!

Terms and conditions:

• Open to all Malaysian and international students residing in Malaysia, aged 15 – 25.
• The essay must be written in English using Microsoft Word (Writing: Arial 12, Line spacing 1.5, Length not exceeding 1000 words).
• The work must be original (process of own ideas) and not yet published in any publication. Plagiarism will not be accepted.
• The writing must be based on one of the 17 SDG elements.
• MAHSA University and the program’s strategic partners have the right to use and edit the submitted work to obtain clarification on any promotional or printed material.

For more information and to register to submit : CLICK HERE

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Home › Essay Competition

Essay Competition: Win a 100% Scholarship With Immerse Education

Participate in the Immerse Education Essay Competition for a chance to win a full or partial scholarship to our university and career preparation programmes. Since 2020, the competition has offered ambitious students the opportunity to win a full or partial scholarship on our award-winning programmes.

• The next competition will be announced shortly
• Free for 13-18 year old students worldwide
• Including 10 full and 75% partial Immerse Education scholarships to any location
• £1000 (residential), £500 (online 1:1), £250 (online group) voucher for every entry

Alumni globally

Participants would recommend Immerse

What Is the Essay Competition?

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a question of their choice relating to a subject of interest. Immerse annually updates its questions to inspire students to delve deeper into their favourite subjects. There are over twenty questions to choose from which can be found in our full Essay Competition Guide. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship to study with us at a world-leading university of their choosing. Outstanding runners-up also receive partial scholarships.

Submission timeline

Sept 19, 2024.

Competition opens

Dates announced soon

Competition closes

Results announced

January, July & August 2025

Programme dates

Feb 23, 2024

Sept 12, 2024, oct 17, 2024.

Any student who submits a full-length essay , but doesn’t receive a scholarship, will be eligible for the option of a £1000 award  for our residential programmes, a £500 award for our Online Research Programmes, or a £250   award for our Group Online Research Programme.

And Many Other Benefits...

Enhance your academic profile for university applications. Partial winners receive completion certificates – and those who write outstanding essays also receive comments from our remarkable guest judges.

University interviewers want you to discuss the subject you’re applying for with genuine enthusiasm. They look for depth of understanding and the ability to articulate your thoughts clearly. Writing an essay deepens your knowledge and improves your ability to present complex ideas.

Our essays are assessed against a mark scheme designed by academic experts. Completing an essay allows you to experience academic writing, promoting related skills like research, critical thinking and editing. Immerse provides support every step of the way.

Competition Details

You’re not on your own. To help your essay shine, Immerse Eduction provides guides, tips and support.

Open to 13-18 year old students

Students can submit an essay if they will be 13-18 years old when the programmes for which the scholarships are valid begin.

500-word academic essay

Register interest to access the Essay Competition Guide with all the questions, tips and guidance on plagiarism, AI & referencing. You can also attend one of our regular essay writing webinars to level-up your writing.

Graded by experts and guest judges

Expert judges assess the essays based on their content, quality of research and critical analysis. Elements like word choice and structure, evidence and inference, as well as vocabulary spelling, grammar and punctuation are also assessed. Student age groups are also taken into consideration.

A chance to win a scholarship for any programme you like

If you win a scholarship, you can use it toward one of our renowned online programmes or one of our award-winning residential courses in any of our locations including Oxford Cambridge, London, Sydney and New York to name a few.

Programmes Our Scholarship Can Be Redeemed Against

Participants will learn to explore the world around them with an architect’s eye, analysing their environment and identifying how each building, structure, and feature influenced by Britain’s long history with urban design.

Choose from a range of subjects to study in the historic city of Oxford. Embrace each college’s unique atmosphere and stunning surroundings, enjoy the vibrant cultural offerings, and feel your subject mastery blossom. Whilst the sun’s out, explore the city’s winding river on a punt.

Choose from a number of industries to explore in this densely packed capital. Experience the pulse of sectors like finance, fashion, and media, immersing yourself in key London hubs, from Canary Wharf’s financial centre to the West End’s theatre scene. Learn directly from industry professionals and get a sense of your future career.

Study in the vibrant city of Sydney, where modern skyscrapers meet iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House. Dive into one of many  subjects, explore the bustling markets, and relax on the world-renowned beaches whilst supercharging your subject mastery.

In New York, the city that never sleeps, engage with an industry-led programme —embracing iconic industry hotspots, from Wall Street finance to Broadway entertainment. Gain hands-on experience and network with professionals in the Big Apple, all while taking in the unmatched skyline and culture.

Study in the cosmopolitan city of Toronto, offering a rich tapestry of cultures, explore one of our career-led programmes. Experience the buzz of city life, skyscrapers, and historic districts. In your downtime, escape to nearby natural wonders like Niagara Falls whilst you accelerate your subject expertise.

In San Francisco, delve into the world of tech and innovation to explore one of our industry-focused programmes. Work alongside startups in Silicon Valley, or explore the sustainable practices of the city’s green businesses. The city offers a window into cutting-edge industries, all set against a backdrop of scenic natural beauty.

Singapore is a great summer programme destination for its vibrant multicultural atmosphere, cutting-edge educational institutions, and its status as a global hub for innovation and technology. With its blend of academic excellence, cultural richness, and modern amenities.

Tokyo offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity, providing students with a rich cultural experience and endless opportunities for learning and exploration, making it a great summer school destination. A summer programme in Tokyo means diving into the heart of Japanese culture and innovation.

Boston is an ideal summer programme destination due to its rich historical significance, vibrant cultural scene. Home to top-ranked universities, and offering an array of activities ranging from exploring Freedom Trail to enjoying performances at renowned theatres.

This online programme sees students work in a 1-1 or a group session with tutors from renowned institutions like Cambridge, Oxford, and Ivy League schools. Each student undertakes advanced research in a topic of their interest, culminating in a full-length academic research paper.

Our Guest Judges

Our guest judges and markers are chosen for their exceptional subject matter knowledge and the prominence of their organisation in industries aligned with our essay topics. Many of them come from a teaching or academic background with advanced degrees in political science, English, business, physics, medicine, creative writing and more. This diverse expertise ensures that our judging process is both rigorous and insightful. 

The essay competition assessment criteria look at academic writing qualities like research and evidence, word choice and critical analysis, in addition to spelling, grammar & punctuation. Student age groups and are also considered in this assessment.

Business & Economics Judge

Pamela O’Brien

Humanities Judge

Christina Bunce

Medicine Judge

Arnold Longboy

Business Management Judge

Tom Ireland

Biology Judge, Editor of The Biologist

Hear from our previous winners, register interest for these essay-writing resources, how to enter, essay questions, writing tips, referencing guide, submission guidelines, judging criteria, winning essays.

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to entries from young people aged 13-18 interested in all subjects, from Architecture to Medicine, Creative Writing to Film Studies. However, students aged 18 should only submit an essay if they will still be 18 when the programmes the scholarships are valid for begin.

Any scholarships or vouchers awarded during the current round of the essay competition will only be valid for 2025 Immerse Education Programmes

Immerse provides a full essay-writing guide which is sent to your email address once you register your interest in the competition. This guide includes a full list of essay questions, our essay specification, top tips for writing an academic essay, referencing guidance, our terms and conditions and guidance on plagiarism! Registering interest also ensures that you’re on track to submitting your essay on time, through a series of helpful reminder prompts. To support further you can register for our  webinars , which offer top tips and guidance with essay writing from our experts. You are also welcome to explore our  creative writing resources .

Funded scholarship to study abroad:  Our essay competition offers students like you the chance to win a full or partial scholarship to one of our Online Programmes or residential programmes in locations such as Oxford, Cambridge, Sydney, London and more.

Ongoing support from Immerse while you write:  Full support from our team as you write your essay, with free guides and top tips to help you along the way. Sign up to receive our full Essay competition Guide and free tips and tricks as you write. You can also follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok to get more useful essay writing tips.

Demonstrate what you know:  The competition is a chance for you to demonstrate your content knowledge by answering advanced university-style questions.

Build your skills and knowledge:  The opportunity to apply and advance your essay writing skills. You will likely learn something new in the process!

Develop your self-discipline:  A chance to strengthen your self-discipline as you commit to a challenging project and complete it from start to finish.

Essays are graded by expert markers and guest judges who assess the essays across the following criteria:

• – Content
• – Research & Critical analysis
• – Word choice & structure
• – Evidence and inference
• – Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation

Scholarship offers depend on the grades that students achieve. The higher the grade a student receives, the higher the likelihood of achieving a 100% or high partial scholarship. 

The essay competition receives thousands of entries each year, and with the vast number of high-standard entries, we acknowledge the efforts of all participants who have dedicated their time to completing an essay. As such, beyond our full and high-partial scholarships we provide further offers to entrants to facilitate access to our transformative programmes.

If you win a scholarship via the Essay Competition 2024/2025 you can use it toward any residential course in any of our locations. Use your scholarship to enrol on one of our renowned online programmes or enriching in-person/residential summer school programmes in cultural melting pots such as Cambridge, Oxford, London, New York, Toronto, Sydney and more.

No, there is no entry fee and you do not need to have already enrolled onto any of our programmes to take part in the essay competition.

The deadline for the Immerse Essay Competition falls in early September and early January each year. The deadline for the next round will be announced soon.

Register to receive free Essay Competition guidance

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. Register interest to receive your guide with the comprehensive list of questions including:

• A list of all topics and questions
• Essay Specifications
• Top Tips for Writing an Academic Essay
• Referencing Guide
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Pawners Paper Is Back! Attention writers and wordsmiths ! We are thrilled to announce that Pawners Paper after a long hiatus, is now open fo...

Essay Competitions 2022

Here is a list of essay Competitions 2022. The essay Competitions in 2022 is for all countries, students and graduates in 2022. Some are free entry

Essay Competitions In 2022

• Eligibility requirements in respect of age and education qualification.

Join WhatsApp group to get fast updates on literary contest, news, magazine submission and other available opportunities for writers —  First Group Join the Second WhatsApp group — If the first group gets filled up. Join WhatsApp group for UK, USA, Australia and Canada members/residents. Information provided are strictly based on competitions (poetry, essay, short story etc.) paying magazine submissions and other writing opportunities available to the residents . Join Telegram group for more recent updates on writing opportunities

Benefits of submitting to essay competitions 2022.

• Entering any of the competitions will surely guarantee you one or more of the following benefits. 
• Cash Prizes
• Scholarships
• Publication
• and many others.
• Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2022
• Law Reform Essay Competition 2022
• Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. 
• World Historian Student Essay Competition 2022
• Rybczynski economics essay competition 2022
• Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2022
• Stanley Peart Essay Prize
• Waterston Student Essay Competition 2022

• The Irene Adler Prize: A $1,000 Scholarship for Women Writers

Writing has given me a rich and exciting life. I’ve traveled the world from Sweden to South Africa, from the Golden Globes to the Olympic women’s hockey finals. I’ve photographed a mother polar bear and her cubs and profiled stars like ABBA, Jennifer Garner and Katarina Witt. And I couldn’t have done it without women. I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s time for me to give back. With the Irene Adler Prize, I’m awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the U.S. or Canada, based on an essay competition. My mother is a journalist and my sister works in publishing. The editors who gave me my big breaks with the New York Times, the Washington Post, and National Geographic are all female. Nearly every story of mine that’s won an award was assigned by a woman. Teachers, librarians, publicists, literary agents, fellow writers…I could go on. Women have had a huge impact on my career. In today’s challenging climate, I want to let my female colleagues know – past, present and future – that they and their work are respected and valued. This is not to minimize men. It’s to help maximize the talents of the other 50 percent of the world’s population, which is too frequently shortchanged. The time is right.

• The Jane Austen Society Of North America Essay Contest

• Undergraduate Essay Competition 2022: Psa Parliaments
• THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION 2022
• UNESCO International Essay Contest for Young People  International Essay Competitions 2022
• Libra Essay Prize 2022
• THE DORIAN FISHER MEMORIAL PRIZE 2022
• The Julia Wood 2022 essay competition is now open!

• The PG Wodehouse Society (UK) Essay Prize 2022

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2nd Edition of the National Essay Writing Championship kicks off

Pwani Oil, in partnership with Kenya Primary School Head Teachers Association (KEPSHA), has today officially announced the opening of its 2 nd  annual National Essay Writing Championship to take place until 22nd November 2022.

The competition attracted at least 23,000 schools in 2021 and is held in line with Pwani Oils ’ mission to refine the lives of communities around them by sharpening creative writing and thinking skills among pupils.

Speaking while making the announcement at the start of this year’s competition, Pwani Oil Commercial Director Rajul Malde said, “We have received tremendous positive feedback from participants of past competitions hence our desire to roll out the competition once again for more pupils to benefit. Upon its completion, we shall have a mentorship program for the winners as is our tradition”

Working closely with the KEPSHA, Pwani Oil shall run the competition until 22 nd  November 2022. Thereafter, the judges shall retreat to review the submissions and schools shall retreat for National Exams and the December holiday. It targets grades 6 and 7 who will focus on this year’s theme dubbed; Roses are Red and Violets are blue, Color the world to reflect you. 

Giving his remarks, KEPSHA National Chairman Johnson Nzioka said, “Competency-Based Curriculum is about teaching children to be all rounded, especially in their areas of God-given talents, this year’s contest dubbed “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue; colour the world to reflect you” will not only strengthen the value of accumulating knowledge to improve writing skills and creative thinking but also earn participants recognition beyond a classroom grade. I wish all the participants success and may the judges be fair in their marking so as not to demoralize the efforts of the learners”.

This year, Choco Primo, Kartasi, and Umoja Rubber bearing special interests in the Kenyan Child will also join Pwani Oil and KEPSHA among the sponsors of the competition. From Pwani Oil, Sawa bathing Soap is this year’s main sponsor of the competition. The brand boasts of six Sawa soap variants which include Rose, Original, Herbal, Strawberry, Lemon + Honey and the latest entrant Sawa Chocolate.

“Just like last year, we expect even a great number of pupils to participate in this contest. Apart from recognizing the top 5 nationally, we could compile the top 50 essays and share them with the winning schools for purposes of benchmarking”, said Nzioka.

Commenting on the National Essay Writing competition, Trufoods – Choco Primo CEO Sagar Malde said “At Trufoods we believe a healthy future for an individual begins from their very early years. Therefore, we support this worthy cause of growing and nurturing a child by participating in the Sawa Essay competition in partnership with Choco Primo Drinking chocolate which provides the child with the right vitamins and minerals for an Active brain, strong bones, strong muscles and a high immune system. We invest in the future and the children are our future”

In the 2021 contest; out of the 47 winners at the county level, 24 were girls and 23 were boys, a clear indication that our learners are competing at equal levels.

“We are glad to be part of the enablers of this competition. Kartasi has been a preferred choice for budding students, offering a wide range of exercise books, notebooks, writing instruments and other stationery. Through our products, we look forward to celebrating the innovation and excellence of the participants” said Kartasi Products Limited Managing Director Rajan Malde.

At the end of the competition, winners will be awarded with a gift hamper from Trufoods, Choco Primo and Kartasi and the Top 5 national winners will be awarded a fully paid 3-day trip to the coast as well as a prize-giving ceremony at the Pwani Oil facility.

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Final Project

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About the Final Project

Do you care about climate change? Want to tell the world about the issue in a creative way? Submit your final project by creating a fact-based essay or a work of multimedia work (make a video/podcast interview or animated short video/your own talk show…etc.) to express your thoughts on a climate topic that you care about most.

Project Topic

Your final project can cover any aspect of climate change, such as: - climate change effects - climate change costs - how to fight climate change - what your country or other countries, institutions, or individuals are doing - reducing your carbon footprint - renewable energy sources - environmental justice Contribute your proposal and win the opportunity to speak as the young leaders’ representative at the annual Caixin Summit happening in mid-November. The Caixin Summit is Caixin’s highest-profile and largest conference series, and is recognized as one of the most authoritative and forward-looking annual events in the economic arena of China. Converse with opinion leaders and key policymakers in the field, get ready to learn and be inspired.

Essay - Submission should be limited to 500-800 words (excl. abstract, bibliography, and footnotes). - The file format: PDF or Word document Work of multimedia - The length for your video or audio recording is three to five minutes - The file format: mp3, m4a, mp4

Essay The essay should be written in English. Multimedia work The video or podcast should be recorded in English. English subtitles will be needed if part of your work contains other languages.

Sept. 30, 2022, 11:59 p.m. (GMT+8)

Individuality:

Essay Individual work is required. The essay must be written exclusively for this project, and the ideas must be the author’s own. Multimedia work Individual work or teamwork (up to two producers, both of whom should participate on the program) is accepted. The work must be original and created exclusively for this project. ＊General requirements: The work must not contain obscene, violent, pornographic, defamatory, objectionable, insulting or any of the controversial and inappropriate content.

Essay All sources must be cited, whether APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard referencing styles. Multimedia work - If you need to use materials belonging to others in your video, you must comply with copyright and fair use policies. - If the work contains authorized material(s) or requests a permission during video/audio recording, the entrant should obtain the authorization(s) from the copyright owner(s) or corresponding venue owner(s). You may be requested to show their approval documents.

• General questions: 1. Who can participate? All participants of the SMART Talks on climate change are eligible to join the final project. 2. Who will judge my work? Your work will be judged by a jury of five, including Caixin’s ESG editor and top professors from Yale University. 3. When will the results be announced? The jury's decision will be announced on the project’s official website at the end of October. All participants will be notified directly via email.
• Essay Competition: How long should the contribution be? All entries must be 500-800 words. The word count excludes all bibliography, footnotes, and graph descriptions. Please make sure to state the exact word count in your document.
• Multimedia work: 1. If I want to work as a team, will you assign a team member to me? No, we encourage you to team up with another member of this program by yourself. We do not accept work completed by a group of more than two people. 2. I have already submitted the group work. Does my other team member need to submit it again? Yes. Please submit your work separately with both of your names on the submitted file.
• Participation: 1. What documents do I need to submit? In addition to your contribution, please make sure to upload a copy of your passport (or student ID) to verify your age and institution. 2. I haven’t received an acknowledgement that my essay has been submitted. Have you received it? We will send you an automatic confirmation email once your essay is received. If you do not see this confirmation within three days after you submit it, please contact [email protected]

SMART Talks aim to inspire young people to think, talk, and act smart about climate change issues

Email: [email protected] Wechat: 关注微信公众号CaixinGlobal财新国际，给我们留言

Useful Links

• Caixin Global
• Yale Center Beijing

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