Essay Contest
To foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen, JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest, with support generously provided by the Sonia Raiziss Giop Foundation.
Students interested in the life and works of Jane Austen are encouraged to enter. The Essay Contest is open to students world-wide at the high school, college/university, and post-graduate levels of study. Entrants must be enrolled at least part-time in coursework during one or more semesters/quarters of the contest year. (Part-time is defined as a minimum of six credit hours for college undergraduates and three credit hours for graduate students.)
2009 Essay Contest
The topic for the 2009 Essay Contest is:
Siblings abound in Jane Austen’s novels. Some siblings act as foils to each other; others are in competition; still others are mutually supportive and encouraging. Examine the importance of siblings in one or two Austen novels. Discuss how they function in the novel and how they embody larger themes. You may focus on one sibling relationship or you may compare relationships, either within a novel or between two novels.
The Submissions page includes important rules about format and submission of essays and a link to the official Essay Contest entry form. Entries must be postmarked by May 1, 2009.
Essay Contest Prizes
JASNA awards three prizes in each of three categories: High School, College/University, and Post-Graduate. (JASNA does not offer scholarships.)
First Place
- One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
- Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Philadelphia or $250 [Note: AGM prize does not include transportation to Philadelphia.]
- Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
- Publication of the winning essay on JASNA’s web site
- One of Jane Austen’s novels
Second Place
- One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
- Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
- One of Jane Austen’s novels
Third Place
- One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
- Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
- One of Jane Austen’s novels
Questions? Contact Lynn Sherick at lynn.sherick@gmail.com. Please use “JASNA Essay Contest” in your subject line.