Marie Smibert Writing Studies Student Achievement Prizes
Contest opens Fall/Winter 2025-26
Have you written an outstanding essay or project in a Writing Studies course this year?
If so, we encourage you – students in eligible Writing Studies courses 2025-2026 (May to April) – to submit entries and compete for the Marie Smibert Writing Studies Student Achievement Prizes. These prizes honour the achievements of students in Writing Studies courses in the Department of English and Writing Studies. The contest has four divisions:
Category 1: Introductory Essay Writing (Writing 1031F/G, 2101F/G [Main Campus only], 2111F/G, 2130F/G, 2131F/G)
Category 2: Introductory Creative Writing (any assignment from WRIT 1000F/G)
Category 3: Creative Nonfiction (WRIT 2214F/G, WRIT 3814F/G)
Category 4: Advanced Essay Writing (Writing 2202F/G, 2210F/G, 2215F/G; 4998F/G)
Category 5: Advanced Nonfiction Writing (Writing 2203F/G, 2219F/G, 2222F/G, 2223F/G, 2225F/G; 3401F/G)
These awards are made possible through the generous support of the Marie Smibert Writing Endowment. This endowment allows Writing Studies to offer prizes of $1000 for the top entry in each category listed above. In addition, the awards committee may offer up to 2 honourable mention awards in each category worth $500.
Eligibility
Eligible students (registered on main campus) may submit entries in Categories 1 to 4 from Writing Studies courses taken during the summer, fall and winter terms 2025-2026. The deadline for entries is Friday, April 24. Only one entry in each Category will be considered, but you can of course submit an entry in more than one Category.
A list of winners will be available and publicized on the Writing Studies website. We regret that we cannot notify all contest entrants personally nor can we return the manuscript entries.
How to Enter
Entries must be submitted electronically. Prepare an electronic copy of your paper with a title page that contains only the title and your student identification number.
Download the entry form here.
Fill out the entry form including your faculty, identification number, summer/permanent phone and address, and the course and section number. You will also need to fill out a short description of your writing assignment. Submit your files (entry form + your paper) as one attachment in PDF format to an email directed to writing@uwo.ca.
Questions
|
Writing Studies Undergraduate Program Office |
Dr. Jamie Johnston Undergraduate Program Director/Writing |
IMPORTANT: Check that neither your name nor your instructor's name appear on your entry.
PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS
| Recipient | Course | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | ||
| Dylan Wettlaufer | Writing 2202F-650 | Marie Smibert Writing Prize for the highest mark in Writing 2202F-650 |
| Owen Hamber | Writing 2101F-652 | Marie Smibert Writing Scholarship for the highest mark in Introductory Expository Writing |
| Justin Rowbotham | Writing 2111G-655 | Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Introductory Essay Writing |
| Sara Churchill | Writing 2111F-652 | Honourable Mention, Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Introductory Essay Writing |
| Elora Chambers | Writing 2215F-650 | Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Advanced Essay Writing |
| Emma Leclerc | Writing 2203F-650 | Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Non-fiction Manuscripts |
| June Kasperski | Writing 3225F-650 | Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Technical and Professional Writing |
| Preet Saggu | Writing 2209G-650 | Honourable Mention, Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Technical and Professional Writing |
| 2023-24 | ||
| Audrey Li | Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Introductory Essay Writing | |
| Owen Ostler | Honourable Mention, Marie Smibert Writing Program Student Achievement Prize in Introductory Essay Writing | |
| Michelle Bourdon | Marie Smibert Writing Prize for the highest mark in Writing 2202F/G | |
| Preet Kaur Saggu | Marie Smibert Writing Scholarship for the highest mark in Introductory Expository Writing | |
