The Fountainhead is a novel written in 1943 by Ayn Rand. It was an early literary success for her.  Over 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide.

It is the story of Howard Roark, is a young architect who acts on principal and works in obscurity rather than changing his artistic and personal vision.  His fight is to practice modern architecture as opposed to more traditional work.  More information about the essay contest can be found on the Ayn Rand Institute Website.  Submitted essays must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words.

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See their website for the current list of topics.

Essays will be judged on both style and content. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead.

Essay submissions are evaluated in a fair and unbiased four-round judging process. Judges are individually selected by the Ayn Rand Institute based on a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Ayn Rand’s works. To ensure the anonymity of our participants, essay cover sheets are removed after the first round. Winners’ names are unknown to judges until after essays have been ranked and the contest results finalized. The Ayn Rand Institute checks essays with Ithenticate plagiarism detection software.

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FIRST PRIZE: $10,000
5 SECOND PRIZES: $2,000
10 THIRD PRIZES: $1,000
45 FINALISTS: $100
175 SEMIFINALISTS: $50

Check out other essay contests for which you may be eligible.