Medium launches Writers Challenge with $100k in prizes, judged by Natalie Portman, Roxane Gay, Saeed Jones, Susan Orlean and more
Medium has launched the Medium Writers Challenge, an essay contest designed to showcase and reward a new generation of quality writers. Judged by Medium editors and a panel of cultural leaders including Natalie Portman, Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Susan Orlean and others, the competition spans four weeks with a different writing prompt and winners announced at the end of the challenge.
Writing prompts have shown to be popular on Medium, with the #StopAsianHate and Pandemic Reflections blogs being recent examples of writers offering different perspectives on a variety of timely topics.
The prizes – totalling in US$100,000 – include:
- One grand prize winner will be awarded US$50,000
- The winners of each prompt will be awarded US$10,000
- The top 100 essays will be awarded US$100.
Medium VP of Content Jermaine Hall said: “When was the last time you read a great piece of writing? What quality made you want to share it far and wide? Why did it strike such a powerful chord? If you were asked to replicate that feeling—to craft an essay that leaves readers caught up in the rapture of an unforgettable narrative—could you do it?
“We believe you could. Great ideas can come from anywhere. And the Medium Writers Challenge was created to extract the best writing out of you.”
Additionally, Medium recently announced its Summer Creator Workshop Series which includes three workshops for creators to learn more about drafting the perfect personal essay, how to connect with readers, and ways to beat writer’s block.
For more information on the prompts and important dates, check out Medium’s blog.
