Last Updated on September 1, 2022
The Award celebrates writers who achieve both literary excellence and extraordinary insight into the South’s natural treasures and environmental challenges.
In the long, proud tradition of southern literature, writers have often drawn on the region’s unique natural treasures for inspiration and insight—from the haunting cypress swamps of Georgia to the tall mountains of western North Carolina to the rolling fields of the Virginia piedmont. As the South grows and changes, writers are increasingly exploring the South’s relationship with these natural riches and the challenges they face in this time of transition, and SELC’s Reed Environmental Writing Award honors the best of these storytellers.
Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) annual Reed Environmental Writing Award has two categories: Book, for non-fiction books (not self-published), and Journalism, for newspaper, magazine and online articles.
Prizes
- Prizes of $2,500 are awarded to the winner in each category.
Eligibility
- Open to anyone, including authors and publishers.
- Nominations for book entries must be works of nonfiction (not self-published), and journalism entries, including newspaper, magazine, and digital writing, must be published by a recognized institution such as a newspaper, university, or nonprofit organization.
- Entries must be at least 1,000 words; published in the year ending October 1, 2022 and pertain to the environment in at least one of the six states in SELC’s region (Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia).
Judging Criteria
- The primary judging criterion is the quality of writing style and connection to the South’s environment, overall originality of the piece, and presentation of unique ideas and pressing issues.
Application
Winners will be announced in January 2023 and invited to read from their winning entry at a special SELC event during the Virginia Festival of the Book, held every March in Charlottesville, Virginia.
For more information, visit Reed Environmental Writing Award.
Deadline: October 1, 2022