The Ayn Rand Institute’s Fountainhead Essay Contest offers a unique platform for students to engage deeply with literature and philosophy. The deadline is September 13, 2024.
What is the 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.
About the Contest
For nearly four decades, the Ayn Rand Institute has hosted annual student essay contests on Ayn Rand’s novels. These contests encourage students to seriously engage with Rand’s ideas through reflection on her profound and influential novels. Students who participate will need to read the book they have selected carefully, grapple with its complex themes, and push the boundaries of their writing ability. By doing so, we hope students will achieve a deeper appreciation for Rand’s literary works and develop a curiosity for the philosophy that underlies them.
Prompt
Steven Mallory tells Roark that he fears there is something like a “drooling beast of prey” that is hanging over the world. What do we learn from the rest of the book about what is the object of Mallory’s fear and in what way is it like a beast of prey? How does Roark help Mallory and others learn to overcome it? How does Roark’s success in helping his friends combat this fear relate to the theme of the novel? To answer all of these questions, give specific examples from the novel.
Eligibility
The contest is open to middle and high school students worldwide, aged 13 and older. Students can enter by submitting an essay based on the provided prompt related to Ayn Rand’s novel, “The Fountainhead.”
Steps of Participation
- Read an Ayn Rand novel: Select the book according to your level of education, and begin reading. Pay attention to the themes and character motivations, and be thinking about how you might answer the essay topic questions.
- Write an essay on the book: As you start to write, be thinking about how to answer the essay question you have chosen to write on. Be sure to give yourself enough time to construct a coherent outline, find supporting evidence, and revise your draft a couple times.
- Submit for grading: Submit your essay online using ARI’s application portal. Be sure to check that the information you provide in your application is correct, and that your essay satisfies our requirements.
- Wait for the results: Grading for all submissions begins once the deadline has passed. Essays go through three separate grading stages, and the final results are announced approximately three to four months after the entry deadline.
Judgement Criteria
- Clarity
- Organization
- Understanding
Contest Guidelines
- The participation is Free.
- Each entry round features a unique topic designed to provoke a deeper understanding of the book’s central themes and characters.
- Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced.
Timeline
- Application Window Opens for Fall Prompt: June 21, 2024
- Entry Deadline for Fall Prompt: September 13, 2024
- Grading Begins for Fall Prompt: September 20, 2024
- Results Announced for Fall Prompt: November 29, 2024
Prizes
- The total prize amount is worth Rs. 25L+ / $31000.
- 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.
- Grand Prize: Rs. 20L+ / $25k.
- 1st Prize: Rs. 2.5L+ / $3000
- 2nd Prize: Rs. 1.6L+ / $2000
- 3rd Prize: Rs. 83k+ / $1000
How to Register?
Interested participants can register through this link.
Deadline
The deadline for submission is September 13, 2024.
Click here for the official notification of the Fountainhead Essay Contest.
