Sally B. Young Critical Writing Award
The UTC English Department invites submissions to the Sally B. Young Critical Writing Award for the best critical essay written for an undergraduate English course at UTC during the previous calendar year (spring, summer, or fall terms).
A five-member faculty committee will select the winner via blind review. The winner receives $500 and recognition at the English Department Banquet held each spring.
This award is open to all undergraduates students enrolled at UTC, regardless of major. The due date to apply is 11:59p ET on the Friday before Spring Break, which is Fri., March 7 for Spring 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
For consideration, your essay must be...
- 5-15 pages long
- a critical essay: literary criticism, critical theory, or rhetorical analysis (we don't consider personal essays or other types of creative non-fiction for this award)
- prepared for a UTC English course at the 2000 level or above
- written for a UTC English course taught during the previous calendar year—for example, a paper written for a fall 2019 course is eligible for the March 2020 deadline
- developed with or without research—research is not a requirement for the award
Submission Guidelines
- Draft an email to Dr. Chris Stuart with Sally B. Young Award in the subject line and your name, email address, home address, phone number, the name and number of the course for which the paper was written, and the name of the instructor in the body of the email.
- Attach your essay meeting the above entry criteria as a PDF or Microsoft Word file. Please don't include your name anywhere in the attached file.