Submissions are invited for The Fountainhead Essay Contest by Ayn Rand. The last date of submission is December 20, 2024.

About Ayn Rand

AynRand[dot]org is the official website of the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI), the source for information on the life, writings and work of novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand.

Headquartered in Santa Ana, California, ARI offers educational experiences based on Ayn Rand’s books and ideas for a variety of audiences, including students, educators, policymakers and lifelong learners. ARI also engages in research and advocacy efforts, applying Rand’s ideas to current issues and seeking to promote her philosophical principles of reason, rational self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism.

About Fountainhead

This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite…of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy…and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator.

As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.

Contest Details

Every three months there is a new seasonal entry round, with its own unique essay prompt. You may compete in any or all of these entry rounds. The top three essays from each season will be awarded a cash prize. The first-place essay from each season will advance to compete for the annual grand prize. The first-place essay from each season will be eligible to contend for the annual first-place title, with the opportunity to secure a grand prize of $25,000.

Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced.

Eligibility

Open to all middle & high school students worldwide, ages 13 and older.

Prompt

In her introduction to the 25th anniversary edition of The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand writes that she removed a quotation by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche from the head of her manuscript because of “profound” disagreement with his philosophy.

How can we see her repudiation of Nietzsche’s worldview illustrated in the story of The Fountainhead? How can the plot be interpreted as illustrating the reasons for which she rejects the Nietzschean ideas she claims to reject (in this introduction and elsewhere)? How does Rand’s rejection of Nietzsche’s philosophy relate to the novel’s theme? Explain your answers by reference to particular characters’ specific actions and their consequences.

Selection

Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. 

How to Submit?

Interested participants can submit online via this link.

Submission Deadline

The last date of submission is December 20, 2024.

Click here to view the official notification of The Fountainhead Essay Contest by Ayn Rand.