Student Essay Competition

To encourage a new generation of feminist scholars, the FSA sponsors an annual student essay competition for work which is innovative, interdisciplinary and grounded in feminist theory and practice. After an initial shortlisting process, the top seven entries will be judged by our judging panel to determine the winner. All shortlisted entries will be published in the Journal of International Women’s Studies, and the winner will also receive a year’s free FSA membership.

Students at any stage of their studies at a British or Irish university or recent graduates from British or Irish universities are encouraged to submit entries. To be eligible, entries must have been submitted as student work at a British or Irish university, must not have been previously published, must not be currently under consideration for publication, or must not have been entered into other competitions which may result in publication elsewhere. Essays should be 6,000-7,000 words (including footnotes and bibliography). Entries must be submitted electronically via email, include a completed competition coversheet, and adhere to the submission instructions below.

Previous essay prize winners and shortlisted entries:

Volume 21, Issue 3 (2020) Feminist Comforts and Considerations amidst a Global Pandemic: New Writings in Feminist and Women’s Studies—Winning and Short-listed Entries from the 2020 Feminist Studies Association’s (FSA) Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 20, Issue 4 (2019) New Writings in Feminist and Women’s Studies Winning and Short-listed Entries from the 2018 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association’s (FWSA) Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 19, Issue 1 (2018) New Writings in Feminist Studies: Winning and Shortlisted Entries from the 2017 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association’s Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 18, Issue 3 (2017) New Writings in Feminist Studies: Winning and Shortlisted Entries from the 2016 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association’s Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 17, Issue 2 (2016) New Writings in Feminist Studies: Winning and Shortlisted Entries from the 2015 FWSA Student Essay Competition
Volume 16, Issue 1 (2014) The 10th Anniversary of the FWSA Essay Competition: New Directions in Feminist Studies – Emotions, Activisms, Intersectionality
Volume 14, Issue 4 (2013) New Writings in Feminist and Women’s Studies: Winning and Short-listed Entries from the 2012 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association’s Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 13, Issue 2 (2012) Winning and Short-listed Entries from the 2010 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 12, Issue 2 (2011) Winning and Short-listed Entries from the 2009 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 11, Issue 3 (2009) Winning and Short-listed Entries from the 2007 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 10, Issue 3 (2009) Feminist and Woman’s Studies Association Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 9, Issue 2 (2008) Politics, Sexualities, and New Feminist Scholarship: Winning and short-listed entries for the 2006 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association Annual Student Essay Competition
Volume 8, Issue 2 (2007) Identity, Difference and New Feminisms: Winning and Short-listed entries for the 2005 Feminist and Women’s Studies Association, U.K. Annual Essay Competition
Volume 7, Issue 3 (2006) New British Feminist Scholarship and Contemporary Politics: Prizewinning and Short-listed Essays from the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association (UK and Ireland) Essay Competition
Volume 6, Issue 3 (2005) Winning and Short-listed Essays from the Second Annual Essay Competition of the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association (UK and Ireland) (FWSA)
Volume 5, Issue 2 (2004) New Writings in Women’s Studies: Selected Essays from the First Women’s Studies Network (U.K.) Association Essay Contest

How to apply:

Please adhere to the following submission instructions:

Attach a cover sheet to your submission (downloadable here)
You must submit the cover sheet and essay in a combined word file (PDFs and other formats will not be accepted)
Please use your surname as the file name (e.g. ‘ROWELL’)
Please anonymise your manuscript. To anonymise your essay, please remove all details that may reveal your identity within the body of the essay, by doing the following: Remove all occurrences of author name(s) and institution(s) from the essay; Remove anything that can identify you as a co-author or editor of other works from the essay; Replace author references in text by referring to yourselves as ‘Author A’, ‘Author B’ etc within the essay
Please write ‘FSA Student Essay Competition 2020’ as the subject line of your email.
Please ensure you submit your entry by midnight on Friday 3rd July 2020.

Late submissions or entries without a cover sheet will not be considered

A note about this year’s competition: At FSA we have considered whether to run this year’s competition during the uncertain times we face. However, given that the already demanding landscape of academia may only intensify in light of probable cuts in the higher education sector, we wanted to give emerging feminist scholars the opportunity to publish their work.

Apply to the student essay competition

Submit your essay as a word attachment (adhering to all submission instructions under ‘How to apply’) by Friday 3rd July 2020 at midnight.

Email us your entry