Deadline: 15 May 2015
Open to: high school, college, and graduate students
Prizes: $1000 scholarship for first place, $500 scholarship for second place, $250 scholarship for third place
Description
To foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen, Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) conducts an annual student Essay Contest, with support generously provided by the Sonia Raiziss Giop Charitable Foundation. Students interested in the life and works of Jane Austen are encouraged to enter.
The 2015 Essay Contest topic aligns with the JASNA Annual General Meeting theme, “Living in Jane Austen’s World”.
Examine a single Jane Austen novel or several and show different ways characters engage with their culture, views, mores, or living conditions. How does participation in their world affect each character’s development? You might look at how a character approaches material culture, physical or emotional space, interpersonal relations, social class, wealth, or gender. You may consider elements of Jane Austen’s world that have inherently negative or positive influences on characters and events in the novels.
Essay Format
- The essay must be written in English;
- The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page;
- The title of the essay should appear at the top of page one; further pages should be numbered on the top right; the student’s name must not appear on the essay;
- The essay must be in MLA format (double-spaced and in 12 point type throughout, with one-inch margins on all sides of each page);
- The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical end notes. Note that source material which is directly quoted as well as that which is paraphrased or summarized must be cited. Note also that quotes from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited.
Eligibility
The Essay Contest is open to students worldwide in the high school, college/university, and graduate school levels of study. Entrants do not need to be members of JASNA. Students must be enrolled full-time or part-time in coursework during one or more semesters/quarters of the contest year.
Prizes
JASNA awards scholarships to the winners in each of three divisions: High School, College/University, and Graduate.
First Place
- $1000 scholarship;
- Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Louisville, Kentucky (Note: Transportation to Louisville is not provided.);
- Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site;
- Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site;
- One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor;
- A set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
Second Place
- $500 scholarship;
- Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site;
- Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site;
- One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor;
- A set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
Third Place
- $250 scholarship;
- Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site;
- Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site;
- One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor;
- A set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
How to apply?
- Entries must be submitted by the student on the official Essay Contest entry website. Duplicate entries are not allowed, but a successful submission will be confirmed by e-mail to the address supplied;
- The student must complete the above entry form, which includes a stipulation that the essay is the student’s original work and has not been published elsewhere;
- Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required;
- Contest judging is conducted anonymously. Personal information about the student, school, and mentor must appear ONLY on the entry form and not in the essay;
- Your essay must uploaded along with the entry form on the Essay Contest entry website;
- Entries must be submitted before midnight PDT on May 15, 2015.
If you have any questions please contact Eric Nye at eric.nye@jasna.org.
For more information please visit the official website.
