Tag Archives: Essay Competition

awards, competition, Events, Opportunities, other scholarships, Scholarships

ATLAS SHRUGGED ESSAY CONTEST: WIN UP TO $25,000 IN SCHOLARSHIP PRIZES

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Application Deadline: July 31, 2025

LOCATION: USA

Win up to $25,000 in scholarship prizes by writing about one of Ayn Rand’s classic novels.  Join students from around the world in exploring important ideas through writing.

ELIGIBILITY:

Open to students worldwide.

9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade, College freshman, College sophomore, College junior, College senior, Graduate student

Choose the contest that matches your grade level and the Ayn Rand novel you want to write about.

Read the novel carefully and take notes on themes, characters, and passages that stand out to you.

Apply to the Contest: Create an account and submit your application.

 They offer three essay contests based on Ayn Rand’s novels. New topics are released each season. Each is tailored to specific grade level. The current open contests are:

Anthem: The annual 2025 Anthem Essay Contest

The Fountainhead: The Summer 2025 round of The Fountainhead Essay Contest

Open to all 8th- through 12th-grade students.

Atlas Shrugged: The summer 2025 Atlas Shrugged contest

Open to all 9th grade through graduate school students.

Choose the contest that corresponds to your grade level. If you’re eligible for multiple contests, you may enter all of them, but each requires reading the corresponding book.

BENEFIT:

First-place winners in the flagship contests — The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged— will receive $3,000 for winning their season’s contest. The grand prize winner among these will be selected to receive an additional $22,000, making a full grand annual prize of $25,000. The Anthem contest’s grand annual prize is $2,000. In addition, all contests offer substantial prizes for runners-up, with details available on each contest’s page.

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awards, competition, Events, Opportunities

THE CAVE CANEM PRIZE FOR BLACK POETS

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Application Deadline: May 8, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.

LOCATION: USA

The Cave Canem Prize supports the work of Black poets to overcome the obstacle of publishing their first book of poems. Awarded to one poet annually, the Prize recipient receives a monetary award, as well as having their manuscript published by one of our partner publishers, Graywolf Press; University of Pittsburgh Press; or University of Georgia Press.

ELIGIBILITY:

All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora.

Black authors of chapbooks and self-published books with a maximum print run of 500 copies are also eligible to apply.

Please note that in the event that an applicant has submitted the same manuscript to other competitions and receives an award, they must disclose this information to Cave Canem. By applying, the Cave Canem Prize Winner agrees to be present in the continental United States at her or his own expense shortly after the book is published in order to participate in promotional reading(s).

Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the board of Cave Canem Foundation or Graywolf Press; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Graywolf Press are ineligible.

BENEFIT:

Award: Winner receives $10,000; publication through Graywolf Press in Fall 2025; 15 copies of the book; and a featured reading with the selected judge, presented by Cave Canem.

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