Bulletin Board
Sejong Cultural Society - Essay Competition
Rules and Information
Deadline: March 31, 2019 (11:59pm CDT)
Adult division (age 30 and younger)
"O. Cuniculi" by Pyun Hye-young
Please note that the adult division age limit has been increased to age 30.
Topic: Along with Han Kang and Jo Kyung-ran, Pyun Hye-young is among a group of new "international" Korean women writers whose work is characterized by its exploration of the darker aspects of contemporary society. Pyun is often compared to Western writers like Kafka and Camus, and to the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. "O. Cuniculi" is a very representative Pyun story, which can be read on many levels as allegory, psychological realism, social criticism, and even surrealism. What is it about the story that you find most powerful, and what insight does the story provide into Korean society (or society in general)? You may draw comparisons with other writers or provide a close reading of the story on its own terms. Be sure to explain the reason for your interpretation or comparison.
Rules:
- Essays must not exceed 1,000 words in length.
- Junior division students should refer to our folktales index when choosing a folktale to write about and select one of the stories listed there. Please choose only one topic and folktale to write about.
- Entries must be submitted through our website.
- One entry per category per contestant is permitted. (Contestants are permitted one essay and one sijo entry.)
- Essay division age limits do not have a lower limit, but the sijo adult division is limited to age 19 and older. If a pre-college student would like to compete in the adult essay division and pre-college sijo division, s/he must create two separate application accounts.
- All entries must be written in English.
- Contestants' names cannot be written in their entries.
- We reserve the right to use all submitted pieces in future publications of the Sejong Cultural Society with no compensation to the authors.
- We reserve the right to not award any prizes.
- Winners are generally announced by early May. This estimate is subject to change depending on the number of total entries received; a more accurate estimate will be posted on our website soon after the competition deadline.
Prizes:
- Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500)
- Senior division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300)
- Junior division: First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100)
- Honorable mention (for all divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each)
- Winners' works may be published in the Korea Times Chicago or the Korean Quarterly.
Sijo Competition Rules and Information in collaboration with the Korea Institute, Harvard University
Deadline: March 31, 2019 (11:59pm CDT)
how to write sijo | sijo samples | sijo references (links)
Divisions: adult division (age 19 and older) and pre-college division (age 18 and younger)
Guidelines:
- Write one sijo in English on a topic of your choice. A title for the sijo is not required.
More information on writing sijo can be found here. - Participants must participate in their age-appropriate division. Younger participants may not apply to the adult division.
- Entries must be submitted through our website.
- One entry per category per contestant is permitted. (Contestants are permitted one essay and one sijo entry.)
- All entries must be written in English.
- Contestants' names cannot be written in their entries.
- Essay division age limits do not have a lower limit, but the sijo adult division is limited to age 19 and older. If a pre-college student would like to compete in the adult essay division and pre-college sijo division, s/he must create two separate application accounts.
- We reserve the right to use all submitted pieces in future publications of the Sejong Cultural Society with no compensation to the authors.
- We reserve the right to not award any prizes.
- Winners are generally announced by early May. This estimate is subject to change depending on the number of total entries received; a more accurate estimate will be posted on our website soon after the competition deadline.
Prizes (funded by the Korea Institute at Harvard University):
- Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500)
- Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300)
- Honorable mention (for both divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each)
- Competition winners will be announced in AZALEA: Journal of Korean Literature and Culture, published by the Korea Institute at Harvard University.
- Winners' works may be published in the Korea Times Chicago or the Korean Quarterly.
The Bulletin Board is for informational purposes only. The English Department does not explicitly endorse any of the particular events or opportunities listed here.