Bodley Head and FT launch essay prize

The Bodley Head and the Financial Times have launched their annual essay prize. The award will see young writers have their work published as e-books by the Random House imprint.

Open to writers between the age of 18 and 35, the essay prize will be judged by Penguin Random House UK c.e.o. Tom Weldon; historian Simon Schama; The Bodley Head publisher Stuart Williams; Random House digital publisher Dan Franklin; Financial Times life and arts editor Lucy Tuck; and FT Weekend editor Caroline Daniel.

Writers are asked to submit an essay of no more than 3,500 words, which can address any topic, from finance to history or current affairs and science.

The winner will receive £1,000 and e-publication with The Bodley Head, as well as a mentoring session with The Bodley Head and the Financial Times. Two runners up will also be published, and win £500.

The prize, which was first launched last year, was won by South African academic Hedley Twidle, whose essay "Getting Past Coetzee" was published in the FT.

Williams said: "The breadth and depth of the entries we received last year proved that long-form writing is in rude health. Reading them was illuminating and surprising in the best possible ways, and we much look forward to this year’s crop."

The competition launches on Saturday (21st September), and the deadline for entries in 24th November.