The Fountain Essay Contest 2018—Apply (Prizes: $2,100)

Essays are currently being accepted for the 2018 fountain essay contest. The theme for this edition is ‘gratitude. Essayists are expected to answer this grand question: Should We Be Grateful?

Here’s how the editors put it:

That perfect cup of coffee in the morning. Seeing an old friend for the first time in years. A big meal with your family. All of them make us feel grateful – grateful for loved ones and grateful to be alive. Gratitude is an important part of the human experience. And it’s not only for people; animals show gratitude to those who care for them.

The question is: Why do we feel grateful? What should be we grateful for? And even, should we still be grateful when we’re depressed or when our lives are a mess? For this year’s Essay Contest, we want to hear from you. What are you grateful for? Who are you grateful to? Are you grateful? We can’t wait to read your responses.

Submission Guidelines

• Essays must be between 1,500 and 2500 words
• All submissions must be made by the January 31, 2019 deadline
• Writers from all over the world are eligible to apply
• Theme : Should We Be Grateful?

How To Apply

• All submissions must be made via the fountain essay contest Google doc page.

Prizes and Awards

• 1st Place winner will receive a cash award of  $1,000
• 2nd Place  will receive a cash award of $500
• 3rd Place will receive a cash award of $300
• Two Honorable Mentions will receive a cash award of $150 each

Winners will be announced 30th April 2019.

Application Tips To Help You Increase Your Chances Of Winning

• Preferred Style: formal and informal styles are fine. A personal essay that reads like a short story will be considered so long as the piece reflects the values of the organizers.
• Don’t forget to include the essay title. It’s enough grounds for disqualification
• Essays will be judged based on literary effectiveness , richness in content, and uniqueness
• Ensure that your essay reflects relevance to the contest theme (40 points and Innovation & creativity (30 points)
• Choose a writing style and structure (30 points) befitting of your essays topic.

Bonus tip:

Consider taking a free online creative writing course at the University of Iowa’s current IWP for non-fiction

Learn to write award winning personal essays free of charge from Professor of Creative writing, Roxanne Gay.

Simply click to get more writing ideas and inspiration.

Good luck.