The Christopher Allen Prize
for Writing
Established in honour of Christopher Allen, a freelance journalist and emerging photographer.
Chris was killed on 26 August, 2017 in South Sudan for practicing his profession.
“For me it’s been really important, in my writing and my photography, to be as close as possible, to engage as closely as possible to the war, not to see it from the distance, to look at it from some proverbial hill, because for me it’s about feeling.” - Chris Allen
The Winner and the recipient of the Honorable Mention for the Christopher Allen Prize for Writing for 2022 have been notified of their success. Thank you to all entrants and please check back here soon for news!
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The Winner and the recipient of the Honorable Mention for the Christopher Allen Prize for Writing for 2022 have been notified of their success. Thank you to all entrants and please check back here soon for news! 〰️
About the Prize
Key Dates
26 August, 2023 - Call for entries, announcement of jury members, prize award and terms and conditions of entry
23 November, 2023 - Entries close
23 December, 2023 - Prize winner announced
The Third Annual Christopher Allen Prize for Writing
The Christopher Allen Prize for Writing is established in honor of Christopher Allen, a journalist and photographer.
Christopher was killed on August 26, 2017 while reporting on the underreported conflict in South Sudan. He was 26 years old.
The hallmark of Christopher's journalistic work and writing was its humanity. His writing was focused on people. The winning essay of The Christopher Allen Prize will foster the same goals as Christopher’s journalism; he told the stories of those in the shadows of violence and conflict and gave voice to those who were unheard.
This Prize provides a platform for South Sudanese youth in Africa to share their stories and in doing so, the Prize carries on Christopher’s legacy.
The Winner will receive tools for their craft, visibility for their work and a contribution to their education and professional development. The Award honors Christopher's love of words and his generosity in supporting others to develop their writing and storytelling skills.
Today we announce the general guidelines for the Prize and the identity of the judging panel and mentor for the winning entrant.
Guidelines
The Christopher Allen Prize for Writing is a competition open to any secondary school student of South Sudanese descent living in Africa.
The Christopher Allen Prize for Writing will be given for an essay:
Of exceptional quality.
Of no less than 750 words and no more than 1500 words.
Written between 26 August, 2023 and 23 November, 2023.
The essay must be based on personal experience and could incorporate research, analysis and critical thought.
The essay can include artwork, photographs and photography but these will not form part of the judging criteria or be substituted for word count.
Please send essay submissions to: contact@christopherallen.org
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Topic for the 2023 Prize
How have your experiences as a South Sudanese youth shaped you?
On the basis of these experiences, describe what specific steps or action you would like to see taken to improve the lives of South Sudanese people - the more specific and realistic the better.
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The Winner will be announced on 23 December, 2023.
Entrants do not need to be published or professional writers. The judges will consider the quality of writing, depth of research and storytelling in each essay.
We are not accepting:
Essays written for school.
Essays that have already been written for another purpose.
Essays that have been published.
Safety
We recognize that writing can be dangerous. As such, we will work with recipients to ensure that their identities are kept confidential and published under pseudonyms if they so choose. If you wish to submit an essay, but you are concerned for your safety, please get in touch at contact@christopherallen.org
The Award
The Winner will:
Receive a personal laptop computer to the maximum value of US $2000.*
A scholarship for their schooling to the maximum value of US $3000.**
The publication of their essay in a forum that is appropriate to the style of essay submitted and on the Christopher Allen website.
Mentorship for a year from a published and working writer to help the recipient develop and refine their writing skills.
*The type of computer will be decided in conjunction with the Winner so as to best meet their requirements.
**The scholarship will be paid directly to the approved school or course provider nominated by the Winner.
Judges
John Allen and Joyce Krajian
Parents of Christopher Allen
Nyagoa Nyoun
Social Activist, Fashion Designer, founder of William Nyuon Bany Foundation and Catwalk to Freedom
Samuel Hughes
Writer and Editor for 40-plus years, recently retired after 27 years as Senior Editor of The Pennsylvania Gazette
Sam Mednick
Freelance journlaist and former AP correspondant in South Sudan
Daniel Danis
Multimedia Communication Specialist, Journalist, Playwright, Filmmaker
Pat Hughes
Writer of Young Adult Fiction and Editor
If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@christopherallen.org