Prompt:
What is something that embodies the dynamism and drive of today’s East, Southeast, or Inner Asia that more people should know about? Write about a person or people, a trend, or some other source of inspiration that has arguably been overlooked or underappreciated in the rest of the world.
Requirements:
- The formal essay must be a piece of previously unpublished academic-quality work between 750-1250 words in length.
- The visual project must be an original work of either photographic content or artwork of any visual medium. Permissions must be obtained in advance for any sourced images/materials used to create the work. Please submit the work in PDF or PNG format at a high resolution. Art should be supplemented with an essay explaining the piece(s) of 200-800 words long.
- Citations are welcome but not required. Chicago Style is preferred.
- Students may enter in both the visual essay and formal essay. One submission per category. No co-authors, please.
- Students should submit their essay in Word or PDF format.
- Students from any Columbia University degree program may submit an entry.
Prize:
First place winners in both the visual and formal essay categories will receive a $500 prize. A runner-up from each category will receive a $250 prize. The winning visual work will be used as the cover of the Spring 2025 issue of The Reed. All prizewinners will be featured in the 2025 issue.
Submission:
Please send questions and submissions to [email protected] with the subject line "The Reed Student Essay Submission" or “The Reed Student Visual Essay Submission.” The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm ET on Monday, March 24, 2025. We look forward to seeing your work!
