The Southern Environmental Law Centre (SELC) is inviting applicants for the Reed Environmental Writing Award to enhance public awareness of the value and vulnerability of the South’s natural treasures by giving special recognition to writers who most effectively tell the stories about the region’s environment.
Donor Name: Southern Environmental Law Center
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 10/01/2024
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
In the long, proud tradition of southern literature, writers have often drawn on the region’s unique natural treasures for inspiration and insight—from the haunting cypress swamps of Georgia to the tall mountains of western North Carolina to the rolling fields of the Virginia piedmont. As the South grows and changes, writers are increasingly exploring the relationship with these natural riches and the challenges they face in this time of transition, and SELC’s Reed Environmental Writing Award honors the best of these storytellers.
The mission of the award to enhance public awareness of the value and vulnerability of the South’s natural treasures and to recognize and encourage the writers who most effectively tell the stories about the region’s environment. The award is named for SELC founding trustee Phil Reed, a talented attorney and committed environmental leader who believed deeply in the power of writing to change hearts and minds.
There are two categories for entries: Book, for works of nonfiction (not self-published), and Journalism, for newspaper, magazine, and online writing that is published by a recognized institution such as a newspaper, university, or nonprofit organization. The primary judging criterion is the quality of writing style and connection to the South’s environment, overall originality of the piece, and presentation of unique ideas and pressing issues. Cash prizes are awarded to the winner in each category. Winners will be invited to read from their winning entry at a special SELC event during the Virginia Festival of the Book, held every March in Charlottesville,Va..
Funding Information
Prizes of $2,500 are awarded to the winner in each category.
Requirements
- For the journalism category, minimum length is 1,000 words per entry. Awards are given to an individual writer or are shared among co-writers.
- They welcome nominations from anyone, including authors and publishers.
- Entries must relate to the natural treasures or environmental challenges in at least one of SELC’s states: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia.
- Journalism entries may be a single article, a series on one topic, or a collection on unrelated topics, as long as each article pertains to the environment in one of the six states listed above. The entry as a whole must meet the minimum word length. Entries must be accompanied by a digital version (URL, or email) to verify word length.
For more information, visit SELC.
