essay contest uk

Essay Competition

 “the ideas of economists… both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood… indeed the world is ruled by little else” ,     j. m. keynes (general theory, 1936), essay competition 2024.

The Marshall Society Essay Competition for 2024 has officially opened!

We are proud to announce that the 2024 Marshall Society Essay Competition is being sponsored by Cambridge Global Connect .

Cambridge Global Connect are a subsidiary of Oxbridge Global Connect, an award-winning education technology platform and research think tank founded at the University of Cambridge that offers premier tutoring services.

Marshall Society Essay Competition 2024

The competition.

The Marshall Society, the economics society of the University of Cambridge, is excited to launch its 2024 essay competition! This is an opportunity for all students who have not begun their university studies to demonstrate their ability to write a convincing and well-structured essay. Emphasis should be placed on sound explanation of economic theory and well-reasoned, original arguments, drawing on relevant real-world evidence.

Participants are invited to submit an essay response to one of the following questions:

• In the face of disinflation, policymakers are hesitant to reduce interest rates. Is this in line with economic theory?
• What are the causes and consequences of low fertility rates in advanced economies? How can we combat them?
• Is the attention economy necessarily harmful? 
• To what extent is a merger between two big firms beneficial to consumers?
• “In an efficient market, at any point in time, the actual price of a security will be a good estimate of its intrinsic va lue.” – Eugene Fama. To wh at extent does this apply today?
• Why did Britain choose to return to the $4.86 gold standard rate in 1925? Was this the right decision?
• Has the field of Economics become too mathematical? Is this a problem?

Writing the essay

Your essay should be written in English with good grammar and structure . We will evaluate your essay based on the logic and persuasiveness of the arguments presented, the quality of the evidence used to support your points, and the originality of your ideas.

Your essay should be properly referenced , citing all sources along the way. It is recommended to use the APA (Author, Year) style of citation in the text. (For example, “The persistence of high unemployment rates is mainly associated with rigidities in the labour markets (Bertola and Rogerson, 1997).”)

Please also provide a bibliography , where you list all your sources at the end of the essay. Don’t worry too much about sticking to one citation format for this; spend your time writing your essay instead (although look to the APA format as a guide for this). Just make sure all the information needed to verify your sources is in here.

Before submitting your essay, do a word count. Words in your bibliography and in any data tables don’t count towards the limit, but everything else does, including footnotes. The limit is 1,250 words (we will check!). We put a word limit so you can focus on what the really important aspects of the question are. Because of the limit, you shouldn’t worry about providing a complete overview of the topic; rather, focus on getting a really good insight into the key aspects, with facts to back it up. You may assume that the judging panel have a basic understanding of the question topic, i.e., there is no need for lengthy definitions or background information.

Finally, some notes on style:

• Include page numbers on every page
• Format your essay in Times New Roman, size 12, with line spacing 1.5
• On the first page, include the question, question number, your name and your school .

Use of Generative AI

The use of Generative AI programmes, such as ChatGPT, is not prohibited in producing your essay, and you will not be penalised for fair usage. However, any use of AI must be declared on the form used to submit your essay. All essays will be passed through software which detects plagiarism and the use of AI, including where passages have been produced by AI and manually rewritten. Any essays found to have used AI without proper declaration will be disqualified.

Use the submission form below to submit your essay. Do not email your essay to us: we will not read it if you do!

If you encounter any issues while submitting your essay via the Google Form below, please email [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to the deadline.

We have extended the deadline for submissions to Sunday 18 th August 2024, 11:59pm BST . Late submissions will not be considered.

Before submitting, please convert your file to a PDF and change the file name to “[your name] Q[question number].pdf” . (For example, “Adam Smith Q4.pdf”). Make sure this is no larger than 10 MB in size.

Competition results will be published on the Marshall Society website by late-August 2024. Prizes are as follows:

First place: £100 Finalists: £50 Commendation: No monetary prize, awarded to excellent submissions shortlisted for finalist.

Selected winning essays will be featured in the Marshall Society’s annual publication, The Dismal Scientist .

Terms and Conditions of Entry Please also observe that by entering you agree to the terms and conditions listed below:

• Your submitted essay must be your work alone and any assistance given to you must be declared in the form used to submit your essay. This includes the use of Generative AI software such as ChatGPT.
• You cannot make any revisions to your essay once it has been submitted.
• Only students who have not started an undergraduate degree can enter. Please note that you do not have to be studying in the UK to enter.
• Any personal data relating to entrants will be used solely for the purpose of this competition and will not be disclosed to any third parties for any purpose without prior consent.
• The essay that is entered may not be entered into any other competition.
• The winner, runners up and those with shortlisted essays will be contacted via the email used to submit the essay. Unfortunately, any other feedback will not be possible to any of the entrants.
• The Marshall Society reserves the final right, where necessary, to make amendments to the above terms and conditions and to select the winners of the competition.

We look forward to reading your submissions!

Jing, Research Director 2024/25 Chiara, Magazine Editor 2024/25

This Is Fictional

The Big List of UK Writing Competitions & Awards 2024 (Part 1)

This one's a biggie.

Hello writery pals!

*Fanfare music* Welcome to the big list of 50 writing competitions and awards for UK writers in 2024.

Whether you write novels, short stories, flash fiction, poetry, prose poetry or anything in between , whether you’re unpublished or published, there’s something for everyone.

The opportunities below come along with some impressive prizes. From free places on writing retreats (I’m dying to go on one of these!) and mentoring with industry experts, to tens of thousands of pounds in cash prizes.

Disclaimers — sounds boring but, trust me, they’re worth reading

If you’re a new writer, I’d recommend going only with the free entry opportunities in the first instance. Tip: search this page for the word ‘free’ to find them quicker.

The more prestigious awards on this list are highly competitive and some have more expensive entry fees than others, so only go with what you can afford.

Most of the bigger competitions also offer a number of free or sponsored entries for writers on low incomes.

For any opportunities you’re particularly interested in, I’d recommend signing up to the organisation’s mailing list (most of them have one) and following them on social media for updates. I say this because some deadlines or competition details may change as organisations gear up for the 2024 round.

Always make sure you read the full T&Cs for any opportunity you enter.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are tons of other amazing opportunities out there, some still to be announced. If there are any you think should be added to this list, let me know in the comments.

Happy writing!

The Big List of UK Writing Competitions & Awards 2024 — Part 1

New Writers - Flash Fiction Competition

This flash competition is open to writers from around the world. Entries should be 300 words maximum. New Writers is offering a top prize of £1,000, a second prize of £300 and a third prize of £200. The deadline is midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 31st January 2024 and £1.00 from each entry will be donated to First Story.

Entry fee: from £10

Deadline: 31st January 2024

Story Unlikely - Short Story Contest

There are no restrictions on genre for this contest. Story Unlikely says, “we don't care as long as it's written and told with quality and care.” The word limit is 4,500. The competition is open to writers of any age and location. 

A prize package of $1,000- $1,500 will be divided up into: $750 first place, $500 second place, $250 third place. The winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely’s website and will be strongly considered for their annual print sample magazine.

Entry fee: unknown but looks like it’s free

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Submit your best flash fiction to this industry favourite award at 300 words or less. 50 longlisted writers will be offered publication in the end of year print and digital anthology. Longlistees will also receive a free print copy. £1,000 prize for the winner, £300 second and £100 third. Two commendations will receive £30 each.

Entry fee: from £7.50

Deadline: 4th February 2023

Curtis Brown Creative - Gillian McAllister Novel-Writing Scholarship for Disabled Writers

The Gillian McAllister Novel-Writing Scholarship for Disabled Writers awards one disabled writer a free place on their online Writing Your Novel – Three Months course. With weekly teaching and workshopping from author Christopher Wakling on CBC’s interactive platform, the winner will also receive one-to-one tutorials and advice from authors and literary agents. 

The course will help the winning writer hone your craft and develop their novel. 

Entry fee: free

Deadline: 11th February 2024

Writers' & Artists' Short Story Competition 2024

W&A’s free annual short story competition offers the winner a place on an Arvon Residential Writing Week (worth £850) as well as publication on our site.

To enter, all you have to do is submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words on the theme of risk via our online competition form. Make sure you have a (free) account on their website. 

Deadline: 12th February 2024

The Watson, Little x Indie Novella Prize

Founded in 1971, Watson, Little Ltd is a long-established literary agency offering a full service to its clients across all aspects of media. 

Indie Novella is an online hub providing free advisory services to aspiring writers and a free online forum to help make novel writing and publishing more transparent and accessible. In celebration of this commitment, they are jointly launching a Fiction Prize for emerging writers.

The Prize is for fiction of all lengths (novels, novellas or stories), open to all unpublished (self-published also accepted) UK-based authors aged 16 and over. Writers are invited to write to fit one of three themes.

Deadline: 14th February 2024

The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition

The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition is a distinguished national writing competition for writers born or living in Wales. The first prize is £1,000 and publication in a short story anthology to be published by Parthian Books. 11 x finalists will win £100 each and publication in the anthology.

Entry fee: £8

Deadline: 15th February 2024

Next Generation Short Story Awards

The 2024 Next Generation Short Story Awards is open to all authors, even first time authors, in the USA, Canada or internationally, who have an original short story of 5,000 words or less. Entries should be previously unpublished and written in English.

Entry fee: from $20

Deadline: 28th February 2024

The London Library - Emerging Writers Programme

The London Library Emerging Writers Programme is a unique opportunity which offers writers, in all genres and disciplines, one year’s free membership of The London Library and includes writing development masterclasses, networking opportunities, peer support, access to and guidance in using all the Library’s resources and publication in the cohort anthology. 

The Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Every year since 2014, the CWA and the Margery Allingham Society have jointly held an international short story competition. The word limit on this one is 3,500.

The goal of this competition is to find the best unpublished short mystery, one which fits into Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham’s definition of what makes a great mystery story.

Entries are welcomed from published and unpublished writers, written in English. The prize for the winner is £500. 

Entry fee: £18

Deadline: 29th February 2024

Scottish Arts Trust - Edinburgh Short Story Award 2024

The Edinburgh Short Story Award is open to writers everywhere with stories on any topic up to 2,000 words. The first prize is £3,000 and there’s a £750 prize for the top entry by an unpublished writer living in Scotland. 

Entry fee: £10 per story

Deadline: 29th February 2024 

P.S. Check out the other awards from the Scottish Arts Trust including the Write Mango Award and Isobel Lodge Award. Entries for these close at the same time as the Short Story Award.

The Kelpies Prize for Writing 2024

The Kelpies Prize for Writing is for writers in Scotland who are keen to start a career in children’s books. The prize package includes a mentorship with an experienced editorial team, consideration for a publishing deal and £500 cash, “which we hope will help our winner take their first steps as a children’s author.”

Anthology Poetry Competition

Established to recognise excellence in the craft of poetry writing and provide a platform for publication, the Anthology Poetry Competition is open to original and previously unpublished poems written in English. Entries are welcomed from poets of all nationalities, living anywhere in the world. 

There is no restriction on theme or style. Poems submitted should be 40 lines or less. There is no limit on the number of entries per person. Each submission requires a separate entry form and will be subject to a separate entry fee.

The winner will receive a €1,000 cash prize and the chance to see their work published in a future issue of Anthology. The winner will also receive a one-year subscription to Anthology. Second place: €250. Third place: €150.

Entry fee: €10

Deadline: 27th February 2024 for very early bird entry fee

BBC National Short Story Award

This is one of the most significant short story competitions in the UK. The prize is awarded yearly by the BBC. Writers entering this award must have a prior record of publishing creative work in the UK (so this one is for established writers only). Stories up to 8,000 words are accepted and may be submitted by the author or by their agent. First place: £15,000.

Deadline: estimated March 2024

Tempest Prize

The Tempest Prize will award one unpublished LGBTQ+ writer based in the North of England a £1000 bursary, mentoring from Andrew McMillan and access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Talent Network. It will be open between February and March 2024 to submissions of poetry, fiction and narrative non-fiction. The prize will be judged by Andrew and a co-judge still to be announced.

Andrew McMillan is the writer of award-winning poetry collections physical, pandemonium and playtime and his highly anticipated debut novel, Pity, is due for publication by Canongate in 2024. The Tempest Prize is the second to be set up and funded by a previous award-winner, after author Benjamin Myers inaugurated the Finchale Prize for Short Fiction in 2022.

Entry fee: unknown

P.S. It looks like there’s no website yet so follow Andrew on social media and keep an eye out for this one. 

Forward Prizes for Poetry

This is the largest annual poetry competition in the UK. The prize recognises the best collection, best first collection and best single poem in the UK each year. All works put forward for the prize will also be considered for publication in The Forward Book Of Poetry, an annual anthology. Entries must be published works and individual poets cannot enter their own work. There’s up to £5,000 to be won depending on the category you enter.

The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction 2024

The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction (The Smokey) is a biennial competition celebrating excellence in flash.

The grand prize winner of The Smokey is automatically nominated for The Best Small Fictions, The Pushcart, Best of the Net and any other prize deemed appropriate. They’ll also pay the grand prize winner $2,500. Second place: $1,000. Third place: $500. Finalists: $100.

Entry fee: $14

Deadline: 1st March 2024

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2024

This prize is awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of the Alpine Fellowship 2024 – to be announced. The winner will receive a cash prize and the runners up will receive travel expense support to attend the 2024 symposium. First place: £3,000. Second place: £1,000. Third place: £1,000

Entry fee: unknown 

PFD Queer Fiction Prize

PFD (Peters, Fraser and Dunlop) runs a Queer Fiction Prize for new LGBTQIA+ writers to find emerging talent. Winners will be signed to PFD and supported in completing their novels. There are two separate categories: Adult and YA & Children’s Fiction.

Any un-agented LGBTQIA+ writer who is in the process of writing a piece of fiction is eligible to enter. Submissions do not necessarily have to be about LGBTQIA+ experiences, though they do especially want stories with LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.

Works do not need to be complete as the prize will provide representation and support in writing to the end of your novel.

The 2024 International Book & Pamphlet Competition

Poets with a collection drafted, this one is for you! This is The Poetry Business’s 38th International Book & Pamphlet Competition, judged by Jane Clarke.

The two winning collections will be beautifully produced and promoted widely and entered for all eligible awards and prizes. They will also be sold in bookshops throughout the UK and through online stockists of The Poetry Business publications.

Entrants should submit a collection of 20 pages of poetry. The two winners will receive £500 each, publication in The North magazine, a reading at The Wordsworth Trust and a place on a residential writing course. Two runners-up will receive publication in East of The North plus an online reading and an honorarium of £100 each.

Entry fee: £29

Deadline: 6th March 2024

Neil Gunn Writing Competition

Poetry and short story entries are welcome for the Neil Gunn Writing Competition. In their entry, writers should respond to this line from Bloodhunt by Neil Gunn: “Mystery. That was the last word, the word you came to at the end. No corner of its coverlet could you lift.”

Entry fee: £10 per single entry or £18 for both a poem and short story

Deadline: 8th March 2023

The Plaza Prose Poetry Prize

A rare one for all you prose poets! The Plaza Prose Poetry Prize aims to shine a light on this exciting hybrid form. They welcome prose poems, up to 50 lines, and encourage writers to be experimental and play with readers' expectations. First prize: £750. Second prize: £200. Third prize: £50

Entry fee: £11 (£5 per additional entry) 

Deadline: 31st March 2024

P.S. The Plaza Prizes has a host of other awards including crime, memoir, microfiction, audio poetry and much more. Check out the website for more information. 

Anthology Short Story Competition

The Anthology Short Story Competition is open to original and previously unpublished short stories, written in English, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. 

There are no restrictions on theme or style. There is a maximum word count of 1,500 words. Writers can submit as many entries as they like. Each submission will require a separate entry form and entry fee.

The winner will receive €1,000 and the winning story will be published in a future issue of Anthology. Second place: €250. Third place: €150.

Entry fee: €15

Deadline: 31st March 2024 for early bird entry fee

Anne Brown Essay Prize 2024

The Anne Brown Essay Prize awards £1500 for the best literary essay by a writer in or from Scotland. Essays can be on any topic, with a maximum word count of 4,000. Unpublished essays are especially welcome.

The Deborah Rogers Foundation – The Writers Award

This writer’s award was the first initiative of the Deborah Rogers Foundation. It was set up in 2015 in memory of the much loved and respected literary agent, Deborah Rogers. 

In keeping with Deborah’s special talent for nurturing emerging writers, the Award offers a substantial prize. £10,000 will go to a previously unpublished writer whose submission of 15,000- 20,000 words demonstrates literary talent and who needs financial support to complete their first book. The submitted work can be fiction, non-fiction, children’s or short stories. Applicants must reside in the British Commonwealth or Eire. Two shortlisted authors will win £1,000 each.

Entry fee: estimated £6

Deadline: estimated 31st March 2024

Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize

The Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize was established in 2019 as a celebration of the short story form and the resilience of independent booksellers. Funded by Brick Lane Bookshop, the competition is open to all UK residents and seeks to discover, publish and promote new, exciting and diverse voices in fiction. The prize is run by former Brick Lane Bookseller, Kate Ellis.

Each year, they invite a writer, a publisher and a literary agent to judge the competition. From a longlist of 12, they select a shortlist of six and three prize winners. The first prize is £1,000.

The 12 longlisted stories are published in their anthology which is available to buy from their website, Brick Lane Bookshop and many other good bookshops.

Deadline: estimated April 2024 (check Brick Lane Bookshop to confirm)

Bristol Short Story Prize 2024

The Bristol Short Story Prize is an international writing competition based in Bristol, UK which aims to publish great short stories and promote writers as much as possible. Discovering previously unpublished writers is central to their mission. They are committed to celebrating the short story form and making it accessible and available to as wide an audience as possible.

First prize: £1,000.

Entry fee: £9

Deadline: estimated 26th April 2024 (check Bristol Short Story Prize to confirm)

Jane Austen Literacy Foundation Short Story Competition

The Jane Austen Literacy Foundation Short Story Writing Competition is an international competition for new and experienced writers.

Three winning stories, selected by a panel including Jane Austen’s family, will be recorded as an audiobook by multi-award-winning narrator, Alison Larkin, and published worldwide to raise money for literacy projects in developing communities.

Deadline: 28th April 2024

Belfast Book Festival - Mairtín Crawford Award

The Mairtín Crawford Award invites writers working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories or a novel. Both published and unpublished writers are welcome to submit between 3-5 poems for the poetry award and a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award. The only stipulation is you can’t already have a published collection of poetry, short stories or a novel.

The winner of each award will receive a £500 cash prize. Each winner will also receive a ‘Time to Write’ package which includes a 3-night stay at Bullitt Hotel Belfast and 4 days of dedicated writing space in The Crescent. Two finalists for each category will receive a £250 cash prize.

Deadline: estimated 1st May 2024

The Creative Future Writers’ Award

The Creative Future Writers’ Award (CFWA) is a national writing development programme celebrating talented, underrepresented writers who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance.

The prizes sound amazing! They include £20,000 and top writing development prizes supplied by publishers and development agencies. 

Deadline: estimated 14th May 2024

SI Leeds Literary Prize

The SI Leeds Literary Prize is for unpublished fiction by UK-based Black and Asian women, aged 18 and above. The aim of the prize is to act as a loudspeaker for fresh literary voices from under-represented groups and to help them reach new audiences in the mainstream.

The writer of the winning entry in 2022 was awarded of £4,000 and a range of additional valuable benefits through the prize’s unique writer development scheme, including: a free place at an Arvon creative writing course, free manuscript assessment of their work from The Literary Consultancy, an invitation to New Writing North’s London summer salon event for publishers and agents, workshops and support, speaking engagements and serious consideration for publication by Peepal Tree Press.

Entry fee: £10 but they do have a number of free entry bursaries for writers on a low income

Deadline: estimated 25th April 2024

Bridport Prizes - Short Story Competition

One of the largest short story prizes. The winning story will features in the Bridport Prize anthology, so you will see your words in print, maybe for the first time. The first place prize is £5,000. You will be invited to the awards celebration and get feedback from the judges and professional partners. Bridport will also champion you and your work. Second place: £1,000. Third place: £500. 

Entry fee: from £11

Deadline: May 31st 2024

BPA First Novel Award 2024

This award is open to unrepresented and unpublished authors for a novel in any adult fiction genre.

The winner receives £1,000 and an introduction with an agent. The runner up will get £500 and an introduction with an agent. And the highly commended writer will receive £150 and an introduction with an agent.

Entry fee: £24

Deadline: estimated 31st May 2024

Bath Novel Award 2024

The Bath Novel Award is an international writing competition based in Bath, UK for writers of novels in every genre. Now in its 10th year, the prize celebrates emerging authors who may be unpublished, self-published or independently-published. 

First prize: £5,000 with full manuscript feedback for shortlistees and extract feedback for all listees. Additional longlist prize of a £1,800 course with the Professional Writing Academy & Cornerstones Literary Consultancy 

Entry fee: £29.99 with sponsored places available for writers on a low income

Deadline: 31 May 2024

Jenny Brown Associates – Over 50 Award

Open to all writers over 50, this award was created to address the lack of literary opportunities available to older writers eager to break into the publishing industry. The award also aims to celebrate and value the collected, distilled wisdom and a lifetime of reading and experience of writers over 50. 

Debut novelists are invited to submit the first 5,000 words of their novels. The prize will consist of £1,000 and a week’s residential placement at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre (the dream!) for the winner. The runners up will receive mentoring sessions with experienced writers, editors and agents as appropriate.

Deadline: estimated 31st May 2024 (check the Jenny Brown Associates website for more details) 

As well as compiling this list, I’ve also created a deadline calendar for you, populated with all 50 opportunities! This will make it even easier to keep up to date with writing competitions and awards throughout the year and never miss a deadline.

Read Part 2 and get the deadline calendar link

Ready for more?

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Home → Study Here → Outreach → Essay Competitions

St Hugh’s essay competitions are open to Sixth Formers from the UK and across the world. These are a fantastic opportunity to explore a topic of interest in a particular subject in more depth, whether something you have studied at school has inspired you, or whether you are keen to broaden your horizons in a new academic discipline.

All four competitions are now open: the deadline for submissions is 5pm (GMT) on Friday 26th July 2024.

To find out more about these competitions please click on the links below:

Mary Renault

Kavita singh, gwyneth bebb, privacy overview.

Writing Competitions Search and Views Navigation

Writing competition views navigation.

Anthology Short Story Competition

Deadline:  midnight (uk time) on 31 july 2024.

• Entry Fee: Early Bird:  €15 – until 31 March 2024, Standard: €18 – until 31 July 2024
• Prizes:  1st Place: €1,000 plus publication in Anthology magazine and a one-year subscription; 2nd: €250; 3rd: €150
• Word Limit:  1,500 words
• Category:  Short Story Competitions
• Competition Website:   anthology-magazine.com/awards/short-story-competition

Inspiring Fiction Special Edition Short Story Contest

Deadline:  31 july 2024.

• Entry Fee: £5
• Prizes:  Winner: The winner receives £100, publication, and a published comment from the editor about why the story won. Shortlisted stories are also published.
• Word Limit: 1,000 to 2,500 words
• Contest Prompt: ‘Freedom’

New Writers Poetry Competition 2024

Deadline:  23:59 (uk time) on wednesday 31st july 2024.

• Entry Fee: £10 per entry ; (£18 for two entries, £26 for three entries, £34 for four entries, or £42 for five entries) * Multiple entries must be submitted together to receive the discoun t
• Prizes:  1st Place: £1,000 ; 2nd Place: £300 ; 3rd Place: £200 ; all winning poems will be published on the NewWriters.org.uk site and in a future New Writers Anthology
• Word Limit: 42 lines (excluding title and line spaces)
• Head Judge: Jordan Hamel (Poet & Performer)
• Charity:   £1 from each entry will be donated to  First Story  (England’s leading creative writing charity for young people)
• Category: Poetry Competitions
• Competition Website: newwriters.org.uk/poetry-competition

Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition

Deadline:  midnight on 31 july 2024.

• Entry Fee: €19 per entry
• Prizes:  1st Place: €2,000 plus featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival (with four-night hotel stay and full board); 2nd: €500; 3rd: €250. All winners will receive publication in Southword magazine.
• Word Limit:  3,000 words
• Judge:  Camilla Grudova
• Competition Website:   munsterlit.ie/ofaolain-competition

August 2024

Aurora Prize for Writing 2024

Deadline:  midnight (uk time) on 7 august 2024.

• Entry Fee:  £9 (£7 for additional entries)
• Prizes:  Winner:  £500 in each category , Second: £150, Third: A ticket to the 2025 Writers’ Conference, hosted by Writing East Midlands
• Word Limit:  60 lines (poetry), 2,000 words (short story)
• Category:  Poetry and short fiction competition
• Competition Website: writingeastmidlands.co.uk/for-writers/aurora-prize-for-writing

FFF Competition Twenty Three

Deadline:  10 pm (uk time) friday 23rd august 2024.

• Entry Fee: £3.95 per entry (PayPal/Stripe) or £2.55 per entry via BACS (UK bank account)
• Prizes: Winner: £150.00; 2x Highly Commended: £50.00; 3x Shortlisted: £40.00 (all winners will receive publication)
• Word Limit: 300 maximum, 100 minimum (excluding title)
• Category: Flash Fiction Competitions
• Competition Website: freeflashfiction.com/current-competition

21 Futures: Financial Fallout Anthology Competition

Deadline:  31 august 2024.

• Entry Fee: FREE
• Prizes: 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview; 2nd place: $500 + podcast appearance; 3rd place: $250 + social media shoutout; 4th place: $100 + signed book
• Word Limit: 3,000 words (not including title)
• Theme: ‘Financial Fallout’
• Competition Website: 21futures.com/submissions/

SaveAs Writers’ International Writing Competition 2024 – Poetry

Deadline:  31st august 2024.

• Name:  The Canterbury Christ Church University Poetry Prize
• Theme  Risking All
• Entry Fee:  £4 per poem, £10 for three
• Prizes:  First: £200; Second: £100; Third: £50
• Word Limit:  60 lines
• Category:  Poetry competition
• Judge:  Tina Cole
• Competition Website: saveaswriters.co.uk/competitions/risking-all

SaveAs Writers’ International Writing Competition 2024 – Prose

• Name:  The Canterbury Festival Fiction Prize sponsored by Canterbury Festival
• Entry Fee:  £5 per short story, £12 for three
• Word Limit:  3,500 words
• Category:  Short story competition
• Judge:  Frances Knight

Scottish Wildlife Trust Words of the Wild Writing Competition

• Adult Prizes: A pair of Osprey ED binoculars from Viking Optical, An Environmental Book Subscription from The Mainstreet Trading Company, A £200 NHBS voucher, A year’s membership to the Trust or one of our wildlife adoptions
• Word Limit: 1,000 words
• Categories:  Short Story Competitions, Poetry Competitions, Non Fiction Competitions
• Competition Website: scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/wordsofthewild/words-of-the-wild-competition

Inclusive Voices Short Story Competition

Deadline:  5pm (uk time) on 31 august 2024.

• Entry Fee: Free
• Prizes: The winner of each age category with receive various prizes including a day in the Calibre Studio in Buckinghamshire with the opportunity to record their story/hear their story being recorded for inclusion in the Calibre Collection
• Word Limit: 550 words
• Theme: Entries should feature a character with a print disability; open to residents of the UK
• Categories: Under 11s, 11-17, 18-25, 26 and over
• Competition Website: calibreaudio.org.uk/50th-anniversary/inclusive-voices

Anthology Personal Memoir Competition

Deadline:  midnight (uk time) on 31 august 2024.

• Entry Fee: Very early bird: €10 per article (until 31 January 2024); Early bird: €12 per article (1 February to 30 April 2024); Standard fee: €15 per article (1 May to 31 August 2024)
• Prizes: 1st Place: €500 , plus publication in the Anthology magazine
• Word Limit: 1,500 words
• Category: Travel Writing Competitions
• Competition Website: anthology-magazine.com/awards/memoir-competition

September 2024

Searchlight awards − best novel opening for children or young adults 2024, deadline:  23.59 (uk time) 1 september 2024.

• Entry Fee: £16 per entry
• Prizes: 1st prize: £1,000 plus a one-to-one call with the agent judge; 2nd prize: editorial review of 5000 words of your manuscript and a one-hour on-line meeting with celebrated author and creative writing tutor Steve Voake; The top 10 entries will feature in Searchlight’s Agent/Publisher Pitch Book of winning stories
• Word Limit: 1,200 words, not including the title. Pitch: maximum 175 words
• Judge: Rachel Petty of The Blair Partnership
• Category:  Novel Competitions
• Competition Website:   searchlightawards.co.uk

Searchlight Awards − Best Children’s Picture Book Text 2024

• Entry Fee: £12 per entry
• Prizes: 1st prize: £500 plus one-to-one call with the agent judge; 2nd prize: Detailed Editorial Review by Natascha Biebow; the top 10 entries will feature in Searchlight’s Agent/Publisher Pitch Book of winning stories
• Word Limit: Your text and illustration notes together should be no more than 1,000 words; pitch maximum: 125 words
• Judge: Lorna Hemingway of Bell Lomax Moreton

New2theScene Short Story Competition

Deadline:  1 september 2024.

• Prizes:  First prize: Interview for the New2theScene podcast; £50 New2theScene vouchers; ‘Spotlight author’ and winner’s blog, with the story featured on the New2theScene website (and possibly an anthology); Notable mentions: £15 New2theScene vouchers; possible publication in anthology
• Word Limit: 4,000 words
• Theme/Genre: Any - let your imagination free!
• Competition Website: new2thescene.co.uk/new2thecomp

Southam Book Festival Flash Fiction Competition 2024

Deadline:  12.00 noon on 8 september 2024.

• Entry Fee:  £3 per story, or up to five stories for £10
• Prizes:  Winner -  £60 , Second - £30, Third - £20
• Word Limit:  100 words
• Category:  Flash fiction competition
• Competition Website: southambookfest.co.uk/100-words-2024

Anthology Flash Fiction Competition

Deadline:  midnight (uk time) on 30 september 2024.

• Entry Fee: Early Bird: €10 per entry (until 31 May 2024); Standard fee: €12 per entry (1 June–30 September 2024)
• Prizes: 1st Place: €300 , plus publication in the Anthology magazine
• Word Limit: 250 words
• Competition Website: anthology-magazine.com/awards/flash-fiction-competition

Anthology Nature Writing Competition

• Entry Fee: Very early bird: €10 per article (until 29 February 2024); Early bird: €12 per article (1 March to 31 May 2024); Standard fee: €15 per article (1 June to 30 September 2024)
• Competition Website: anthology-magazine.com/awards/nature-competition

UK Writers College Short Story Competition

Deadline:  30 september 2024.

• Prizes:  Winner: NZ$1,000 , Second: NZ$500, Third: NZ$500; the three winning entries will be published in an anthology
• Word Limit: 2,000 words
• Theme: ‘It didn't have to be this way’
• Competition Website: ukwriterscollege.co.uk/the-uk-writers-college-annual-short-story-competition

October 2024

Letter review prize for nonfiction, deadline:  1st october 2024.

• Entry Fee: Free (for one entry, $5 for each additional entry)
• Prizes: Two to four winners share in the $1,000 USD total prize pool
• Word Limit:  5,000 words
• Category:  Nonfiction competition
• Competition Website: letterreview.com/information/

Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

• Entry Fee:  FREE (for one entry, $5 for each additional entry)
• Word Limit: First 5,000 words of your manuscript (see Letter Review site for full details)
• Category:  Novel competition

Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction

• Prizes:  Two to four winners share in the $1,000 USD total prize pool

Letter Review Prize for Poetry

• Word Limit:  Up to 70 lines

Caledonia Novel Award 2025

Deadline:  midnight (uk time) on 15 october 2024.

• Entry Fee:  £28
• Prizes:  1st Place: £1,500 plus an exclusive framed award (designed by Edinburgh artist Lucy Roscoe); Special Prize: a free place on a residential writing course (best novel from the UK and Ireland); Highly Commended: £500
• Word Limit:  First 20 pages + 200-word synopsis
• Judge:  Alice Lutyens, literary agent at Curtis Brown
• Competition Website:   thecaledonianovelaward.com

Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction

Deadline:  midday (sydney, australia time) friday 18th october 2024.

• Entry Fees: AU$25 per entry (PayPal) (approximately £13); Personalised feedback is available for an additional fee
• Prizes: Total prize pool: AU$2,000 (everyone on the shortlist wins a cash prize); Winner: AU$1,000; 2nd place: AU$500; 3rd place: AU$200; 4th place: AU$100; 2 x HM: AU$50; 2 x Wildcard prizes: AU$50 (all winners will receive publication on the Not Quite Write website and are read aloud on the podcast)
• Word Limit: 500 words or fewer (excluding title)
• Judges: Ed and Amanda (Hosts of the Not Quite Write Podcast)
• Competition Website:  notquitewritepodcast.com/prize

Anthology Poetry Competition

Deadline:  midnight (uk time) on 31 october 2024.

• Entry Fee: Very Early Bird: €10 – up to 28 February 2024; Early Bird: €15 – 1st March to 30 June 2024; Standard fee: €18 – up to 31 October 2024
• Prizes: 1st Place: €1,000 , plus a one-year subscription to Anthology magazine and publication in the magazine; 2nd Place: €250; 3rd Place: €250
• Word Limit: 40 lines maximum
• Competition Website: anthology-magazine.com/awards/poetry-competition

The Bedford Competition – Short Story and Poetry Awards

Deadline:  31 october 2024.

• Entry Fee: £8.50 (or three for £17). Students: £6 (or three for £12)
• Prizes: 1st: £1500, 2nd: £300, 3rd: £200
• Word Limit: Stories up to 3,000 words; poems up to 40 lines
• Eligibility: Entrants must be aged 17 or older, but from anywhere in the world
• Category:  Short Story Competitions, Poetry Competitions
• Competition Website: bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk

Trio International Poetry Competition 2024

Deadline:  31st october 2024.

• Entry Fee: £5 for the first poem, £8 for two poems, £10 for three poems
• Prizes:  First Prize: £1,000; 2nd: £300; 3rd: £100; plus four commended poems: £25 each
• Word Limit: 40 lines (excluding title)
• Judge: Angela Graham
• Competition Website: triouganda.org/poetry-competition

Solstice Nature Prize For Young Writers

• Prizes: 1st: £100 plus publication in the Solstice Anthology (see notes for other prizes)
• Word Limit: 500 words (stories or blogs) or 40 lines (poems)
• Eligibility: Entrants must be UK residents in one of the following age categories: 7-11* years, 12-14* years, 15-17* years and 18-25 years (*entrants will need permission to enter)
• Judge: Gill Lewis (multi-award-winning and best-selling author)
• Competition Website: writingeastmidlands.co.uk/young-writers-groups/solstice-writing-prize

November 2024

Anthology travel writing competition, deadline:  midnight (uk time) on 30 november 2024.

• Entry Fee: Very early bird: €10 per article (until 31 March 2024); Early bird: €12 per article (April to 31 July 2024); Standard fee: €15 per article (1 August to 30 November 2024)
• Competition Website: anthology-magazine.com/awards/travel-writing-competition
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Home › Essay Competition

Essay Competition: Win a 100% Scholarship With Immerse Education

Participate in the Immerse Education Essay Competition for a chance to win a full or partial scholarship to our university and career preparation programs. Since 2020 the competition has offered ambitious students the opportunity to win a full or partial scholarship on our award-winning programmes.

• Submission Deadline:
 12th September 2024
• Free for 13-18 year old students worldwide
• Including 10 full and up to 75% partial Immerse Education scholarships to any location
• £1000 (residential), £500 (online 1:1), £250 (online group) voucher for every entry

Alumni globally

Participants would recommend Immerse

What is the Essay Competition?

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a question of their choice relating to a subject of interest. Immerse annually updates its questions to inspire students to delve deeper into their favourite subjects. There are over twenty questions to choose from which can be found in our full Essay Competition Guide. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship to study with us at a world-leading university of their choosing. Outstanding runners-up also receive partial scholarships.

Submission timeline

Feb 23, 2024.

Competition opens

Sept 12, 2024

Competition closes

Oct 17, 2024

Results announced

January, July & August 2025

Programme dates

Any student who submits a full-length essay , but doesn’t receive a scholarship, will be eligible for the option of a £1000 voucher for our residential programmes, a £500 voucher for our Online Research Programmes, or a £250  voucher for our Group Online Research Programme.

And Many Other Benefits...

Enhance your academic profile for university applications. Partial winners receive completion certificates – and those who write outstanding essays also receive comments from our remarkable guest judges.

University interviewers want you to discuss the subject you’re applying for with genuine enthusiasm. They look for depth of understanding and the ability to articulate your thoughts clearly. Writing an essay deepens your knowledge and improves your ability to present complex ideas.

Our essays are assessed against a mark scheme designed by academic experts. Completing an essay allows you to experience academic writing, promoting related skills like research, critical thinking and editing. Immerse provides support every step of the way.

Competition Details

You’re not on your own. To help your essay shine, Immerse Eduction provides guides, tips and support.

Open to 13-18 year old students

Students can submit an essay if they will be 13-18 years old when the programmes for which the scholarships are valid begin.

500-word academic essay

Register interest to access the Essay Competition Guide with all the questions, tips and guidance on plagiarism, AI & referencing. You can also attend one of our regular essay writing webinars to level-up your writing.

Graded by experts and guest judges

Expert judges assess the essays based on their content, quality of research and critical analysis. Elements like word choice and structure, evidence and inference, as well as vocabulary spelling, grammar and punctuation are also assessed. Student age groups are also taken into consideration.

A chance to win a scholarship for any program you like

If you win a scholarship, you can use it toward one of our renowned online programmes or one of our award-winning residential courses in any of our locations including Oxford Cambridge, London, Sydney and New York to name a few.

Programmes Our Scholarship Can Be Redeemed Against

Participants will learn to explore the world around them with an architect’s eye, analysing their environment and identifying how each building, structure, and feature influenced by Britain’s long history with urban design.

Choose from a range of subjects to study in the historic city of Oxford. Embrace each college’s unique atmosphere and stunning surroundings, enjoy the vibrant cultural offerings, and feel your subject mastery blossom. Whilst the sun’s out, explore the city’s winding river on a punt.

Choose from a number of industries to explore in this densely packed capital. Experience the pulse of sectors like finance, fashion, and media, immersing yourself in key London hubs, from Canary Wharf’s financial centre to the West End’s theatre scene. Learn directly from industry professionals and get a sense of your future career.

Study in the vibrant city of Sydney, where modern skyscrapers meet iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House. Dive into one of many  subjects, explore the bustling markets, and relax on the world-renowned beaches whilst supercharging your subject mastery.

In New York, the city that never sleeps, engage with an industry-led programme —embracing iconic industry hotspots, from Wall Street finance to Broadway entertainment. Gain hands-on experience and network with professionals in the Big Apple, all while taking in the unmatched skyline and culture.

Study in the cosmopolitan city of Toronto, offering a rich tapestry of cultures, explore one of our career-led programmes. Experience the buzz of city life, skyscrapers, and historic districts. In your downtime, escape to nearby natural wonders like Niagara Falls whilst you accelerate your subject expertise.

In San Francisco, delve into the world of tech and innovation to explore one of our industry-focused programmes. Work alongside startups in Silicon Valley, or explore the sustainable practices of the city’s green businesses. The city offers a window into cutting-edge industries, all set against a backdrop of scenic natural beauty.

Singapore is a great summer programme destination for its vibrant multicultural atmosphere, cutting-edge educational institutions, and its status as a global hub for innovation and technology. With its blend of academic excellence, cultural richness, and modern amenities.

Tokyo offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity, providing students with a rich cultural experience and endless opportunities for learning and exploration, making it a great summer school destination. A summer programme in Tokyo means diving into the heart of Japanese culture and innovation.

Boston is an ideal summer programme destination due to its rich historical significance, vibrant cultural scene. Home to top-ranked universities, and offering an array of activities ranging from exploring Freedom Trail to enjoying performances at renowned theatres.

This online programme sees students work in a 1-1 or a group session with tutors from renowned institutions like Cambridge, Oxford, and Ivy League schools. Each student undertakes advanced research in a topic of their interest, culminating in a full-length academic research paper.

Our Guest Judges

Our guest judges and markers are chosen for their exceptional subject matter knowledge and the prominence of their organisation in industries aligned with our essay topics. Many of them come from a teaching or academic background with advanced degrees in political science, English, business, physics, medicine, creative writing and more. This diverse expertise ensures that our judging process is both rigorous and insightful. 

The essay competition assessment criteria look at academic writing qualities like research and evidence, word choice and critical analysis, in addition to spelling, grammar & punctuation. Student age groups and are also considered in this assessment.

Business & Economics Judge

Pamela O’Brien

Humanities Judge

Christina Bunce

Medicine Judge

Arnold Longboy

Business Management Judge

Tom Ireland

Biology Judge, Editor of The Biologist

Hear from our previous winners, register interest for these essay-writing resources, how to enter, essay questions, writing tips, referencing guide, submission guidelines, judging criteria, winning essays.

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to entries from young people aged 13-18 interested in all subjects, from Architecture to Medicine, Creative Writing to Film Studies. However, students aged 18 should only submit an essay if they will still be 18 when the programmes the scholarships are valid for begin.

Any scholarships or vouchers awarded during the current round of the essay competition will only be valid for 2025 Immerse Education Programmes

Immerse provides a full essay-writing guide which is sent to your email address once you register your interest in the competition. This guide includes a full list of essay questions, our essay specification, top tips for writing an academic essay, referencing guidance, our terms and conditions and guidance on plagiarism! Registering interest also ensures that you’re on track to submitting your essay on time, through a series of helpful reminder prompts. To support further you can register for our  webinars , which offer top tips and guidance with essay writing from our experts. You are also welcome to explore our  creative writing resources .

Funded scholarship to study abroad:  Our essay competition offers students like you the chance to win a full or partial scholarship to one of our Online Programmes or residential programmes in locations such as Oxford, Cambridge, Sydney, London and more.

Ongoing support from Immerse while you write:  Full support from our team as you write your essay, with free guides and top tips to help you along the way. Sign up to receive our full Essay competition Guide and free tips and tricks as you write. You can also follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok to get more useful essay writing tips.

Demonstrate what you know:  The competition is a chance for you to demonstrate your content knowledge by answering advanced university-style questions.

Build your skills and knowledge:  The opportunity to apply and advance your essay writing skills. You will likely learn something new in the process!

Develop your self-discipline:  A chance to strengthen your self-discipline as you commit to a challenging project and complete it from start to finish.

Essays are graded by expert markers and guest judges who assess the essays across the following criteria:

• – Content
• – Research & Critical analysis
• – Word choice & structure
• – Evidence and inference
• – Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation

Scholarship offers depend on the grades that students achieve. The higher the grade a student receives, the higher the likelihood of achieving a 100% or high partial scholarship. 

The essay competition receives thousands of entries each year, and with the vast number of high-standard entries, we acknowledge the efforts of all participants who have dedicated their time to completing an essay. As such, beyond our full and high-partial scholarships we provide further offers to entrants to facilitate access to our transformative programmes.

If you win a scholarship via the Essay Competition 2024/2025 you can use it toward any residential course in any of our locations. Use your scholarship to enrol on one of our renowned online programmes* or enriching in-person/residential summer school programmes in cultural melting pots such as Cambridge, Oxford, London, New York, Toronto, Sydney and more.

* Essay competition schorlaships cannot be redeemed against online Intensive programmes.

No, there is no entry fee and you do not need to have already enrolled onto any of our programmes to take part in the essay competition.

The deadline for the Immerse Essay Competition falls in early September and early January each year. The deadline for the next round is on Thursday 12th September .

Register to receive free Essay Competition guidance

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. Register interest to receive your guide with the comprehensive list of questions including:

• A list of all topics and questions
• Essay Specifications
• Top Tips for Writing an Academic Essay
• Referencing Guide
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THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION

​The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools and has been delivered by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883. It has been delivered in Her Majesty The Queen's name since 2015, in recognition of Her Late Majesty The Queen’s selfless commitment to the Commonwealth and, in the past decade alone, the competition has engaged over 140,000 young people, 5,000 schools and 1,000 volunteer judges.

The QCEC seeks to introduce young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, under-represented demographics and remote communities to the idea of writing for fun, developing key literacy skills and working to increase academic attainment. Through its promotion of literacy and writing skills, the QCEC contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) in over 60 countries and territories and the Society aims to reach even more young people throughout the Commonwealth in the coming years through our digital literacy initiative. 

Each year, young people write on a theme that stems from the Commonwealth’s values and principles, developing key literacy skills whilst also fostering an empathetic and open-minded world view. Recent themes have focused on the environment, inclusion, the role of youth leadership, and gender equality. Their pieces drew out innovative ideas for positive change and encouraged young people to consider new perspectives.

Past winners have gone on to become leaders in their fields, including the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Mei Fong, and the renowned author, the late Elspeth Huxley CBE.

As Vice-Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society Her Majesty The Queen Consort is a passionate supporter of shining a spotlight on the importance of literacy across the Commonwealth. Annually, winners of the QCEC are invited to travel to the United Kingdom for a week of educational and cultural activities, which culminates in a special Awards Ceremony, held at Buckingham Palace, that is hosted by Her Majesty. As part of the BBC's Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II, our Vice-Patron spoke to the BBC Cultural Frontline about the importance of literacy and the competition for a special programme, 'Celebrating Commonwealth writing' with previous competition winners Hiya Chowdhury and Ethan Charles Mufuma. 

All entrants and all participating schools receive a Certificate of Participation and one Winner and Runner-up from the Senior and Junior categories win a trip to London for a week of educational and cultural events. For more information about the competition, please see Terms and Conditions and  Frequently Asked Questions .

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is supported by the Lagos State Government.

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Think Essay Prize

The Royal Institute of Philosophy is pleased to announce the inaugural essay competition for Think .

The winner will be published in an issue of Think , the shortlisted candidates will win a year’s free subscription to  Think , and other prizes will be awarded to all those who make the longlist.

Submissions have now closed for the 2024 Think Essay Prize. The 2025 Think Essay Prize competition will be opening in Autumn 2024.

Winner Announced 

TRIP is delighted to announce the winner of the 2024 Think Essay Prize competition, Claudia Wong, with her essay titled: ‘ Is It Morally Wrong to Eat Meat?’.

Shortlist Revealed 

The judging panel for the 2024 Think Essay Prize announced this year’s shortlist.

Longlist Revealed 

The judging panel for the 2024 Think Essay Prize announced this year’s longlist.

THE OXBRIDGE LAUNCHPAd

Essay competition.

The Oxbridge Launchpad is excited to announce that our annual essay competition is now up and running for 2024! We want to provide a writing opportunity with guaranteed feedback from Oxbridge students to help you on your way to making a strong university application, whether that be to Oxbridge or somewhere else. If you are 15-17 years old and attend a UK state school we would love for you to sign up!

How does it work?

What's in it for me.

We have provided a list of questions (see below) for a variety of different subjects. If you don't see one that inspires you, we encourage you to write your own to explore something outside of the usual curriculum - just email [email protected] to let us know first and we can approve it.  

Entries are open to  UK state school students only , and we can only accept one entry per person.  

Structure and style are up to you, no need to reference.  

Suggested word count is ~1500 words, up to a maximum of 1750 words.  

Please submit your essay as a pdf called 'FirstName_Surname_Subject' by emailing it to [email protected] by 6 pm 1st April.  We will review submissions in April and announce winner(s) in May.  

If you'd like to register your interest and receive reminders, please fill out the form here    

Please get in touch using the email listed above if you have any other questions and we will be happy to answer them. Happy writing! 

The opportunity to research your subject in depth and practise your essay-writing  

Material to talk about on your personal statement or in your interview  

Written feedback on your essay from our team of current Oxbridge students  

The winning essay(s) will be published on our website, along with the names of the authors of shortlisted essays  

Strong candidates will have the opportunity to write other short essays to be published in our Oxbridge Intelligence blog, after an editing process with our team of Oxbridge students.

A free place on our summer programme for winning essay(s)!

COMPETITION QUESTIONS 2024

Anthropology - What do you think is the biggest challenge faced by modern anthropologists and why?

Biology - What do you think the biggest breakthrough in biology will be in the 21st century and why? Has it already happened?

Chemistry - ‘The field of chemistry will be essential in solving the world's energy crisis.’ Discuss.  

Classics - ‘No other ancient culture has left a more notable impression on the culture of today than the ancient Greeks.’ Discuss.  

Computer Science - Will digital intelligence ever replace biological intelligence?

Economics - ‘Billionaires should be banned.’ Discuss.

Engineering - ‘Engineers will be the ones to solve the climate crisis.’ Discuss

Literature - Should we study texts that offend?

Geography - ‘The study of geography is the key to solving the climate crisis.’ Discuss.

History - Can history be objective?

Law - Are there too many or too few laws in the UK today?

Linguistics/Philology - ‘There is no such thing as ‘universal grammar’. Discuss.

Management and Business -  Pick an organisation you are interested in. What is the current culture and structure like, and how might this have to adapt to the current business environment?

Mathematics - ‘The opportunity to find absolute truths through mathematical proof makes mathematics a subject like none other.’ Discuss.

Medicine - What area of medicine do you believe is the most under researched? Why is this the case?

Philosophy -  Does it really matter whether we have a free will or not?

Physics - ‘Developments in the field of quantum mechanics has the potential to fundamentally change the world in the near future.’ Discuss.

Politics -  ‘ Corruption will always be an issue in politics, there is nothing voters can do to prevent it.’ Discuss.

Psychology - ‘Emotion cannot be quantified.’ Discuss.

Theology and Religion -   ‘It is arrogant to call oneself an atheist.’ Discuss.

If you are looking for some inspiration please have a look at some of our 2023 winning essays!

Deadline is 6 pm on April 1st, 2024 , so get writing!

Any further questions, contact [email protected]