Raymond Williams Society Postgrad Essay Prize 2025

We are delighted to announce the return of the Raymond Williams Society postgraduate essay competition for its 11th year. It’s open to anyone studying for a higher degree (master’s or doctoral) in the UK or elsewhere, or who graduated no earlier than 31st January 2024. The deadline for entries is Friday 28 February 2025.

The prize for the winning entry is now £250 and a year’s subscription to the Society. The winning essay will be considered for publication in the academic journal Key Words: A Journal of Cultural Materialism (subject to peer review). The competition aims to encourage a new generation of scholars working in the tradition of cultural materialism, especially those whose research is rooted in the work of Raymond Williams.

Entries should be 5-7,000 words in length, including endnotes, which should normally be kept to a minimum. Entries must follow the Key Words Style Notes for contributors. Information about previous winning entries can be found here.

Entries should be sent by email to Dr John Connor: john.connor@kcl.ac.uk

Entries should be accompanied by a brief coversheet with the following details:

Name
Postal address
Email address
Institutional affiliation
Current or most recent programme of study
Date of graduation (if applicable)
Title of essay
Word count

Please ask your supervisor to send us an email confirming your status. We also request that you confirm the article is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

The closing date for entries is 28 February 2025.