The Ilona Karmel Writing Prizes Competition, sponsored by the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, is accepting manuscript submissions from undergraduate and graduate students. Prizes carry cash awards and are given to students whose essays, plays, poetry, fiction and technical papers are judged to be of the highest quality by a committee of faculty and staff members.
Edward Barrett, senior lecturer in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, is the competition's chairperson. He encourages all interested students to submit their work and also asks faculty members who receive outstanding undergraduate papers to urge the students to enter the competition.
The deadline for entries is 5pm on Monday, April 6. The prizes are:
- The Ellen King Prize for Freshman Writing -- for writing by freshmen in any category (e.g., short story, poetry, essay and drama). First prize is $150, second prize is $75 and honorable mention is $25.
- The Robert A. Boit Writing Prize -- for writing by undergraduates in the categories of essay, poetry and short story. Up to four awards will be given in each category. First prize is $250, second prize is $150, third prize is $100 and honorable mention is $50.
- The Boit Manuscript Prize -- for works of substantial length by undergraduates in the categories of fiction, poetry, essay and drama. This prize is awarded for longer works and collections in any of these categories which give evidence of publishable quality. Both completed manuscripts and those in progress are eligible. Up to three awards will be given in each category. First prize is $300, second prize is $150 and honorable mention is $75.
- The S. Klein Prize for Scientific and Technical Writing -- for interpretive writing on scientific and technical subjects by undergraduate and graduate students. Entries should show evidence of publishable quality. First prize is $300, second prize is $150 and honorable mention is $50.
- The Dewitt Wallace Prize for Science Writing for the Public -- for writing of any length by undergraduates addressed to lay audiences on issues and developments in science, medicine and engineering. First prize is $300, second prize is $150 and honorable mention is $75.
- The Writing and Humanistic Studies Prize for Engineering Writing -- for writing by undergraduates on any topic of professional interest to engineers. First prize is $200, second prize is $100 and honorable mention is $50.
- The Louis Kampf Writing Prize in Women's and Gender Studies -- for writing by undergraduates with a primary focus on women and/or gender. This prize will alternate annually between nonfiction and fiction; in the 1997-98 competition the category is nonfiction. Sponsored by the Program in Women's Studies. One winner receives $300.
- A new prize donated by Grace Koo (SB '92), the Grace Koo Writing Prize For Science Fiction recognizes writing by undergraduates in the category of science fiction short story. First prize is $300, second prize is $150 and honorable mention is $75.
For more information, visit the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies office in Rm 14E-303 or its web site at http://web.mit.edu/humanistic/www/, where prize descriptions and guidelines are available.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on February 25, 1998.
