Eligibility
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.
Topic
Men and Boys in Jane Austen’s Novels.
In Austen’s novels, we usually see the world through her heroines’ eyes. For this year’s essay topic, we invite you to shift the focus and examine her male characters. Choose two or more from among her heroes, villains, friends, enemies, relatives, comic figures, young boys, etc.
Your essay can explore their similarities and/or differences, whether their characters change during the novel, their relations with their siblings, how men tend to treat women, or focus on another area of your choosing. These are only suggestions—you’re welcome to take another approach.
You may also do some research into the Regency era if you like, but please don’t submit a research essay. We want to know what you think. Read and re-read. Support your points with pertinent passages from the novel(s) you choose. In short, try to write an interesting essay.
How to Submit?
Interested candidates can submit entries via the link given at the end of the post.
Submission Guidelines
- Entries MUST address the current essay contest topic or they will not be considered.
- Entries must be submitted by the student through the official Essay Contest Submission website. The site will be open to accept submissions in mid-February. (Use this link.) Duplicate entries are not allowed. Each submission will be confirmed by e-mail using the address supplied.
- The student must complete the official online 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.
- Entries must be submitted before midnight PDT on the published deadline date.
- 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. Make sure your software does not automatically put your name on each page.
Format
Entries that do not conform to the following requirements or arrive after the deadline will be disqualified.
- The essay must be written in English.
- 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 be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page.
- The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical citations in the body of the text. Use end notes only for substantive notes. Source material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited. Quotations from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited as well.
Awards
JASNA awards scholarships to winners in each of the three divisions:
- 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.
Contact
If you still have questions, contact Meg Levin at essay-contest@jasna.org. You must include “JASNA Essay Contest” in the subject line.
Click here to Submit.
Click here for the Official Notification.
