Description of Prizes

The 2009-2010 Ilona Karmel Writing Prizes

The Ellen King Prize for Freshman Writing

Writing by freshmen at MIT in any category is eligible; e.g., short story, poetry, essay, and drama.
AWARDS: $200 first prize, $150 second prize, $100 honorable mention.

The Enterprise Poets Prize for Imagining a Future

Essays, short stories or poems, that convincingly imagine a future human enterprise are eligible. The word enterprise is used in the broadest possible sense to cover products, processes, companies, industries, forms of government, social movements, artistic forms - any human endeavor. This prize is open to undergraduate and graduate MIT students. 
AWARDS: $350 first prize, $200 second prize.

The Robert A. Boit writing prize

Writing by undergraduates in the categories of essay, poetry and short story is eligible. Up to four awards will be given in each category. AWARDS: $300 first prize, $250 second prize, $150 third prize, $100 honorable mention.

The S. Klein Prizes

• for Science Writing
• for Technical Writing

Open to MIT undergraduate and graduate students. Entries should be intended for non-specialized but educated audiences and and should show evidence of publishable quality.
AWARDS IN EACH CATEGORY: $300 first prize, $200 second prize.

DeWitt Wallace Prize for Science Writing for the Public

Writing of any length addressed to lay audiences on issues and developments in science, medicine, and engineering. Works of any length are eligible. Open to undergraduates only.
AWARDS: $350 first prize, $200 second prize, $100 honorable mention.

The Boit Manuscript Prize

Works of substantial length by MIT undergraduates are eligible in the categories of fiction, poetry, essay, and drama. This prize is awarded for longer works and collections, in any category mentioned above, which give evidence of publishable quality. Both completed manuscripts and those in progress are eligible. Up to three awards will be given in each category.
AWARDS: $350 first prize, $200 second prize, $100 honorable mention.

The Writing and Humanistic Studies Prize for Engineering Writing

Writing by undergraduates on any topic of professional interest to engineers, is eligible.
AWARDS: $250 first prize, $150 second prize, $100 honorable mention.

The Prize for Writing Science Fiction

Writing by undergraduate students in the category of science fiction short story.
AWARDS: $350 first prize; $200 second prize; $100 honorable mention.

The Vera List Prize for Writing on the Visual Arts

Writing by undergraduate students should demonstrate unusual and thoughtful expression on some aspect of contemporary visual art.  Sponsored by the List Visual Arts Center.
AWARDS: $500 first prize, $250 second prize (Sponsored by the List Visual Arts Center)