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UPDATE: The Stuart Hall Essay Prize is currently closed to submissions.


The Stuart Hall Foundation is pleased to invite submissions for the inaugural Stuart Hall Essay Prize.

Open to submissions from UK-based entrants aged 18 to 30 inclusive, the prize invites new and unpublished writing that connects with Stuart Hall’s ideas and impacts broad public discourse.

The prize will award £2,000 to a selected writer whose essay engages with and offers originality and value to a field of debate with which Professor Stuart Hall has engaged throughout his life and contributes to a radical critique of contemporary society. The award aims to stimulate a new generation of thinkers who can offer original, lively and topical contributions to the lines of political, cultural and educational inquiry which Hall pursued. Entries from early-career academics, journalists and other writers are welcomed.

Entries should be submitted using the application form by 5pm GMT on Monday December 4, 2023.


Brief

Theme

The entrants may choose the topic of the essay. The prize welcomes essays that connect with Hall’s characteristic interests, and with his concern to say something relevant about the current ‘conjuncture’, however broadly received.

Examples of Stuart Hall’s interest areas broadly include questions of race and inequality in culture and society: identity and difference, (post)coloniality and diaspora, Marxism and post-Marxism, present-day politics of the Left, media and cultural studies. Stuart Hall’s bibliography provides further reading on his exploration of these areas, however there is no requirement that the essay directly engages with particular texts.

Early in the essay, entrants should briefly establish how they are engaging with Hall’s thinking. Essays may be supportive and developmental in relation to Hall’s work; they may also be productively critical; they may also take Hall’s concerns in new theoretical directions or provide them fresh empirical exemplification.

Style

The prize is open to a range of stylistic approaches to the essay, and we welcome contributions from academic or any other backgrounds. Essays should endeavour towards some societal influence, impact and resonance with readers beyond academic circles, contributing to a broad public conversation and accessible to a wide range of readers interested in various public issues.

Length and format

The length of the essay should be 4500-5000 words and should not exceed this word limit.

Essays should be presented in PDF or Word formats (preferably in Arial font sized 12, with margin of 1.5” on left and 1” on all other sides, A4), paginated, and with an appended bibliography. The bibliography is not included in the word count.

Footnotes are not required, though may be included, and would contribute to the word count.


Eligibility

The Stuart Hall Essay Prize welcomes submissions from entrants aged 18 to 30 (inclusive) who are based in the UK.

Submissions must not have been published (or currently be under consideration for publication) elsewhere. Essays that include reworkings of parts of unpublished university theses/dissertations are acceptable.


Assessment criteria

Essays will be assessed on criteria including:

  • Their originality and value as a contribution to one or more of the fields of debate with which Hall was engaged throughout his life.
  • Their demonstration of an understanding of some part of Hall’s writing, as it is relevant to the subject of the essay.
  • Their contribution to one or more of the kinds of radical critique of contemporary society which Hall’s work was in one way or another engaged.
  • Their demonstrating understanding of areas of research and writing relevant to their chosen topic.

Submitted essays will be anonymised and evaluated by a selection committee comprised of SHF Trustees who will determine a shortlist of essays. The winner will be selected from this shortlist by a panel of judges composed of Kennetta Hammond Perry (SHF Associate, and Associate Professor of African American Studies with a courtesy appointment in History at Northwestern University), Professor Catherine Hall (SHF Trustee, now the Emerita Chair of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at UCL) and Professor Jo Littler (Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology and Co-Director of the Gender and Sexualities Research Centre at City, University of London).

The winner will be announced in early March 2024.


Submissions

To submit your entry, complete the submission form here. Essays should be uploaded as part of the submission form at the appropriate prompt. Entries should be submitted by 5pm GMT on December 4, 2023. We are unable to accept late submissions.

Click here to view the Submission Form

The essay should be 4500-5000 words. Submissions exceeding this word limit will be disqualified.

Essays should be presented in PDF or Word formats (preferably in Arial font sized 12, with margin of 1.5” on left and 1” on all other sides, A4), paginated, and with an appended bibliography. The bibliography is not included in the word count.

Footnotes are not required, though may be included, and would contribute to the word count.

If there are accessibility circumstances (e.g. dyslexia) that may require you to submit a postal application or if you would like to discuss other submission options, please contact us at: info@stuarthallfoundation.org


Terms and Conditions

Submission of an entry is taken as acceptance of the rules as stated on this page. For any queries not covered below, please email info@stuarthallfoundation.org

  • Entrants must be aged in the 18-30-year-old bracket (including 30) and based in the UK as of November 6, 2023.
  • Members of the Stuart Hall Foundation Scholars and Fellows Network are welcome to enter a submission.
  • Only submissions received by 5pm GMT on December 4, 2023 will be accepted.
  • Entrants must complete the submission form when submitting their essay.
  • Submissions must adhere to the themes and format as outlined above in the sections above.
  • Submissions must be the entrant’s own original creation and must not infringe upon the right or copyright of any person or entity.
  • Submissions must not have been published previously elsewhere.
  • Submissions must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  • Submissions that include reworkings of parts of, for example, unpublished university theses or dissertations are acceptable provided they meet other stated criteria.
  • Entrants should submit only one essay.
  • Co-authored essays will not be accepted.
  • Submissions must adhere to the 4500-5000 word count and be paginated.
  • Submissions must be in PDF or Word (.pdf / .docx / .doc) formats.
  • Submissions must be primarily in English.
  • Due to limited resources, we will not be able to provide feedback to entrants whose submissions are not shortlisted by the selection committee.
  • Entrants grant the right to the Foundation to publish the winning submission on the Foundation’s website and use extracts of the winning essay on the SHF website, social media and other channels for educational and charitable purposes, publicity, as well as reporting and fundraising purposes. The Foundation reserves the right to embargo the publishing of the winning essay for up to 12 months.
  • The Stuart Hall Foundation reserves the right not to confer the award.
  • Submissions must meet these Terms and Conditions to be considered.
  • Submission of an entry is taken as acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.