Enter Essay Contest

Since 2008, Appalachia, the mountaineering and conservation journal published by the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Waterman Fund have collaborated to sponsor an annual essay contest for emerging writers. Writers who have not published a major work of fiction or narrative nonfiction on topics of wilderness, wildness, ecology, or environmental issues are eligible. The Waterman Fund provides generous prize money of $3,000 for the first-place essay selection and $1,000 for a runner-up. The submission window will remain open until March 15.

For 2026, we invite essays that address any or all topics related to: our relationship to the natural living world, land and place, preservation/conservation, alpine ecosystems, wild(er)ness and the deep woods.

We welcome essays that span genres of memoir, scientific, and personal adventure; fiction, poetry, plays, and songs are not eligible for this contest. Submissions should be 2,000-3,000 words.  Please include contact information, a few lines about why you feel your essay is appropriate for the contest, why you believe you are an emerging writer, and a list of all publications as a brief annotated bibliography (with links when possible). Please send your online submissions as a Microsoft Word (or Word-compatible) document, double-spaced, in 12 point, Times New Roman. Please do not insert photographs or other graphics in the document. If submitting by mail, please include an email address.

For inquiries or to mail your submission through the post, please contact: [email protected].