Guidelines for the award
The Margaret Dooley Award is offered to support the development of young writers who will carry on the contribution of Eureka Street to ethical reflection that will engage a non-specialist audience. One of the distinguishing features of Eureka Street is its encouragement of reasoned ethical argument based on humane values: it is this tradition that judges will seek out in submissions.
Margaret and Brendan Dooley have longstanding connections to the Jesuits and Xavier College. Margaret always appreciated the value of communication and education for young people, based on spiritual and personal values. She graduated from Sacré Coeur College in 1950, commenced nursing at St Vincent’s Hospital and, with Brendan, raised four children. Margaret died in 2004. The Dooley family are pleased to support this initiative.
The winner's essay, and the two runners-up, will be published in the December and January editions of Eureka Street.
Submission Guidelines (please read carefully)
1. The annual award of $1500 is open to any writer, previously published or unpublished, under the age of 40, as of 5 October 2007. Second place in the award is awarded $350, and third $150.
2. Entrants must submit two previously unpublished articles that offer the following: ethical reflection that will engage a non-specialist audience. This can take many forms:
Advocacy or criticism of current ethical frameworks;
An ethical response to a contemporary social or political issue;
Ethical reflection on personal experience or cultural phenomena.
Ethical reflection implies a focus on the values and deeper human implications of issues, ways of thinking, experience or cultural movements. It goes beyond description to reasoned argument.
Contributions will be judged for their appeal to humane values, such as those that are found within, but are not exclusive to, the best of the Christian humanist tradition, clear argument and elegant expression, and a generosity and courtesy of spirit animating forceful argument.
3. One article should be of no more than 800 words. The second should be of no more than 2000 words. They may take up the same, or different, topics.
4. All entries must be received by 5pm Friday, 5 October 2007. Late entries will not be accepted.
5. Electronic copies of the submissions are required, together with the entry form available on this webpage. Please email your two submissions as Word attachments, together with one Word entry form available below, to dooleyaward@eurekastreet.com.au. We will also accept computer disks containing Word documents, sent by post, to: Margaret Dooley Young Writer's Award, Eureka Street, PO Box 553, Richmond VIC 3121.
6. The award will be made only if the judges believe that the best entry is of sufficient quality. The judge’s decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into.
7. The receipt of submissions will be confirmed within four working days by email or post.
8. By submitting entries to the 2007 Margaret Dooley Award, the author acknowledges that the pieces are their own original work, and agrees to abide by the rules of the competition and the decision of the judges.