Marie Smibert Writing Studies Student Achievement Prizes

Contest opens Fall/Winter 2024-25.

Have you written an outstanding essay or project in a Writing Studies course this year?

If so, we encourage you – students in eligible Writing Studies courses 2024-2025 (May to April) – to submit entries and compete for the Marie Smibert Writing Studies Student Achievement Prizes. These prizes honour the achievements of students in Writing Studies courses in the Department of English and Writing Studies. The contest has four divisions for this year (2024–2025):

Category 1: Introductory Essay Writing (Writing 1031F/G, 2101F/G [Main Campus only], 2111F/G, 2130F/G, 2131G)
Category 2: Advanced Essay Writing (Writing 2202F, 2210G, 2215F)
Category 3: Non-Fiction Manuscripts (Writing 2203F/G, 2214F, 2219F, 2222G, 2223G, 2225G, 2292G, 3228G, 3401F)
Category 4: Technical and Professional Writing (Writing 2209G, 3221F, 3223G, 3225F/G)

These awards are made possible through the generous support of the Marie Smibert Writing Endowment. This endowment allows Writing Studies to offer prizes of $350 for the top entry in each category listed above. In addition, the awards committee may offer up to 2 honourable mention awards in each category worth $250.

Eligibility

Eligible students (registered on main campus) may submit entries in Categories 1 to 4 from Writing Studies courses taken during the summer, fall and winter terms 2024-2025. The deadline for entries is Friday, April 25th.  Only one entry in each Category will be considered, but you can of course submit an entry in more than one Category.

A list of winners will be available and publicized on the Writing Studies website. We regret that we cannot notify all contest entrants personally nor can we return the manuscript entries.

How to Enter

Entries must be submitted electronically. Prepare an electronic copy of your paper with a title page that contains only the title and your student identification number.

Entry forms are available for download here.

Fill out the entry form including your faculty, identification number, summer/permanent phone and address, and the course and section number. You will also need to fill out a short description of your writing assignment. Submit your files (entry form + your paper) as one attachment in PDF format to an email directed to writing@uwo.ca.

Questions

Writing Studies

Undergraduate Program Office
Department of English and Writing Studies
writing@uwo.ca

Dr. Jamie Johnston

Undergraduate Program Director/Writing
Department of English and Writing Studies
jjohns6@uwo.ca

IMPORTANT: Check that neither your name nor your instructor's name appear on your entry.

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS

Year Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Highest mark in Writing 2202FG Highest mark in an Introductory Expository Writing course
2023-24 Audrey Li and Owen Ostler (Honourable Mention) No entries No entries No entries Michelle Bourdon Preet Kaur Saggu