Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers.

Interested in the competition?

Competition Overview

High school students and home-schooled students

Eligibility

Free

Entry Fee

February 2026 - June 2026

Submission Deadline

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Competition Details

1. Eligibility

High school students and home-schooled students enrolled at the high school level during the contest year. In addition, there are two other divisions for College/University and Graduate School.

2. Contest Topic

TBD

3. Prizes

First Place: $1,000 scholarship, plus free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s upcoming Annual General Meeting. (Transportation to the conference is not provided.)
Second Place: $500 scholarship
Third Place: $250 scholarship
Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

Jane Austen Essay Contest Past Winning Essays

Submission Details

1. Essay format

6-8 page essay, following MLA format guidelines. Include a title at the top of the first page, without the student’s name appearing in the essay. Ensure all quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from Jane Austen’s work under discussion are properly cited within the text.

2. Essay language

English

3. Citation format

Use MLA documentation, including parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page for all sources referenced, with endnotes only for substantive notes.