The Ilona Karmel Writing Prizes Competition, sponsored by the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, is accepting manuscripts from undergraduate and graduate students through Monday, April 7.
The 37 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.
This year, the Louis Kampf Writing Prize in Women's and Gender Studies, named in honor of professor emeritus in Literature Louis Kampf, will be taking entries in the category of fiction with a primary focus on women and/or gender. The award, which is co-sponsored by the Program in Women's Studies, is in its second year. Edward Barrett, senior lecturer in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, is the competition chairperson. He encourages interested students to submit their best efforts and asks faculty members who receive outstanding undergraduate papers to urge the students to enter the competition.
The prizes are:
- The Ellen King Prize for Freshman Writing, for writing in all categories (short story, poetry, essay, drama). First prize, $150; second, $75; honorable mention, $25.
- The Robert A. Boit Writing Prize, for undergraduates in the categories of essay, poetry and short story, with prizes in each category. First prize, $250; second, $150; third, $100, honorable mention, $50.
- The Boit Manuscript Prize, for undergraduate work in fiction, poetry, essay, or drama of substantial length, completed or in progress. This prize is for longer works or collections that give evidence of publishable quality. First prize, $300; second, $150; honorable mention, $75.
- The S. Klein Prize for Scientific and Technical Writing, for outstanding interpretive writing on scientific and technological subjects by undergraduate and graduate students. Entries should be specifically intended for a nonspecialized but educated audience. First prize, $300; second, $150; honorable mention, $50.
- The Dewitt Wallace Prize for Science Writing for the Public, for writing by undergraduates for lay audiences on issues and developments in science, medicine or engineering. First prize, $300; second, $150; honorable mention, $75.
- The Writing and Humanistic Studies Prize for Engineering Writing, for undergraduate writing on any topic of professional interest to engineers. First prize, $200; second, $100; honorable mention, $50.
- The Louis Kampf Writing Prize in Women's and Gender Studies, for writing focused on women and/or gender. The category alternates annually between nonfiction and fiction; for 1996-97, the category is fiction. First prize, $300.
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, entry rules and cover sheets are available.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on February 26, 1997.
