The Art of the Essay

In Natural Questions, Seneca observed: “[t]he time will come when diligent research over very long periods will bring to light things which now lie hidden.” The School of Advanced Study and its nine institutes certainly encourage and are devoted to the advancement of disciplines and knowledge as a whole. To this, the postgraduate students play a key role with their research interests and intellectual curiosity. As a postgraduate society, one of our key drives is to continue this tradition of intellectualism and cultural inquisitiveness by producing content that is relevant, interesting, and worthwhile. With our university’s ethos and dedication “to supporting and promoting humanities research,” the School of Advanced Study “is proud to take a leading role in embedding public engagement both institutionally and within a broader research culture.” We are delighted, therefore, to be announcing our SASiety Essay Prize.

The SASiety Essay Prize will be a great opportunity to stretch those non-thesis writing muscles (and get published!), but more importantly, will allow us to share and explore the viewpoints of people in our SAS community in a long-form way. And potentially getting £100 for your efforts is no bad thing either!

Natalia Fantetti, Academic Events Officer Tweet

Your Contribution Matters

This is where you come in. Whether a researcher, student, or civilian we want to hear your opinions and thoughts. About the state, accessibility (or lack thereof) of academia, about events you may have attended (have they broadened your horizons or alienated you in any way?), books you have read and found life-changing, art you have seen, thoughts you may have on politics and economics, law and policy making, or even your own research. Our aim is to facilitate a platform where we interchange ideas on a collaborative, interdisciplinary level and to establish a tradition of rewarding the best essay for their succinct, accessible, and elegant prose. We will be publishing all of the essays that fulfill the above criteria. Essays that respond to previously published articles will also be acceptable as submissions.

How to Enter

We accept essays that start at 650 words up to 1500 words. We accept international submissions. Your essay must include a title and your name; if you are part of an institution, please also make note of that. All submissions must be emailed to sasiety@postgrad.sas.ac.uk. Add [CONTRIBUTION] to your subject line if you’d like to be considered for the prize. We accept multiple submissions. Please note submissions close on the 1st of May 2021. The best essay will be awarded with £100 on the 1st of June 2021. Second place will receive £50, third place £25. If you have any questions, do feel free to email us at sasiety@postgrad.sas.ac.uk.