Essay Competition

Every year we hold an annual Essay Competition, with prizes for the best essays in first-year, second-year, and upper-division courses, as well as prizes for runners-up in each category. These are judged by our Awards Committee at the end of the Spring semester. See below for procedures and deadlines; there will also be announcements in your classes.

Students entering the Essay Competition will be notified by e-mail of their results.  The winning submissions will be made available in a booklet of photocopies which will be kept in the Department archives and at the Writing Centre.  As well, winners will receive a book prize and will have their essays listed on a poster celebrating their work.

English Department Essay Competition:
Regulations and Process

Important note: Please include, with all submissions, an email address, mailing address, and phone number. And if you wish to have your material returned to you, please include a "SASE" - self-addressed, stamped envelope (see sample).

Submit all entries to:

Sandra Hagan, Richard Arnold, or Brenda Sully

in the English Department.

All submissions must be works written by students for VIU English courses and must be recommended to the competition by English instructors.

All submissions must be received by a member of the Essay Competition Committee no later than the second Friday in May.

All submissions must have the original marked and graded assignment, and a revised/rewritten copy.

Students who wish to have their papers returned must supply a large, self-addressed and stamped envelope.

Essays from both fall and spring semesters will be accepted.

Normally submissions will be presented in the research essay format with MLA or APA documentation; however, other writings (short essays, reader responses, for example) will be considered.

Instructors may recommend a maximum of 2 submissions by a student in a given course.