Blogging Woolf

Virginia Woolf, common readers, and Julia Briggs.

That is the combination created by the Julia Briggs Memorial Prize 2009, which will be awarded to the top essay on the topic of “Virginia Woolf and the Common Reader” in a competition sponsored by the Virginia Woolf Society of Great Britain.

The competition is being held in memory of noted Woolf scholar Julia Briggs, who died in August. Ms. Briggs, author of Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life and Reading Virginia Woolf, also served as an executive council member for Great Britain’s Woolf society.

Who can enter

The competition is open to members and non-members of the Virginia Woolf Society of Great Britain, with the exception of  members of the executive council and editorial committee of the society, contest judges, and families of all three groups.

How to enter

Entries should be sent to Ruth Webb, 15 Southcote Road, London SE25 4RG. Entries must arrive by January 10, 2009.

For more information or to receive a hard copy of the entry form and confirmation slip, e-mail Sarah M. Hall at: smhall123@yahoo.co.uk

Rules of the essay competition

Writers are advised to read and follow the competition rules below, which come from the Virginia Woolf Society of Great Britain.

COMPETITION RULES
The essay, on the topic “Virginia Woolf and the Common Reader,” should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words in length. It should be the original work of the named entrant, and previously unpublished in print or any other medium. Student coursework is acceptable.

Each entry should include the official entry form, which can be obtained here. Just scroll down the page for the official form.

Entrants should supply THREE typed copies of the essay on A4 paper, printed on one side only, double-spaced (or 1.5) and in a font size no smaller than 10-point. The VWSGB regrets that no e-mailed entries will be accepted because of printing costs.

The competition will be judged by acclaimed Woolf scholars Lyndall Gordon and Maggie Humm, and VWSGB Vice-Chair and Woolf biographer Ruth Webb. The decision of the judges is final. The society reserves the right not to award the prize if, in the judges’ opinion, none of the entries attains the required standard. Otherwise the winner will be contacted in mid-March.

The winner will receive a cheque for £250, presented at the society’s annual general meeting in central London on April 4, 2009, and the winning essay will be published in the Virginia Woolf Bulletin. If the winner is unable to attend the April 2009 general meeting, the prize will be sent by secure mail.

PLEASE NOTE
No entry will be accepted without the signed entry form, which should be attached to the first page of the first copy of the essay. There should be no personal details on the essay pages themselves.

The society cannot return entries. Acknowledgement of receipt can only be given if the entrant supplies an SAE containing the confirmation slip. Entrants from outside the UK should e-mail Sarah M. Hall at smhall123@yahoo.co.uk for confirmation of receipt.