The Jane Austen Society of North America

Essay Contest

The 2013 Essay Contest is closed. Check back in September to see the names of the winners and to read the winning essays.

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 Charitable 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 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. Home-schooled students at the high school level are also eligible. Part-time is defined for the college/university level as a minimum of six credit hours and for the post-graduate level as a minimum of three credit hours. Attention English teachers! Click here to download a black and white poster announcing the 2013 Essay Contest to post at your school. Or click here to download a color version.

2013 Essay Contest

The 2013 Essay Contest topic aligns with the JASNA Annual General Meeting theme, “Pride and Prejudice . . . Timeless”:

Though Pride and Prejudice may be regarded as timeless, nevertheless within the novel Austen plots her time very carefully. Timing is everything for important relationships and events. And the characters are deeply connected to the time in which they live, which is both like and unlike our times. What do we discover about time, times, or timeliness from reading Pride and Prejudice?

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 e-mailed by May 15, 2013.

Essay Contest Awards

JASNA awards scholarships to the winners in each of three categories: High School, College/University, and Post-Graduate.

First Place

One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
$1000 scholarship
Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Note: Transportation to Minneapolis is not provided.]
Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
Publication of the 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
$500 scholarship
Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Note: Transportation to Minneapolis is not provided.]
Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
Publication of the essay on JASNA’s 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
$250 scholarship
Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Note: Transportation to Minneapolis is not provided.]
Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site
One of Jane Austen’s novels

Please review the Essay Contest FAQs. If you still have questions, contact Eric Nye at eric.nye@jasna.org. You must use “JASNA Essay Contest” in your subject line.