Reminder: Submit to Esse’s Young Critics Competition
April 29, 2026
The deadline to submit to Esse’s Young Critics Competition is approaching!
The Hnatyshyn Foundation is pleased to partner with Esse arts + opinions to support the publication’s annual Young Critics Competition. This annual writing competition aims to promote the work of emerging art critics by providing them with editorial support and a first publishing experience in Esse magazine.
Deadline: May 10, 2026
Eligibility
The competition is open to students registered in an undergraduate or master’s program at a Canadian university.
Terms of the Competition
Your submission can take the form of an essay or a review (exhibition, event, performance, theatre, dance, music, visual art, or site-specific intervention), corresponding to the magazine’s editorial policy. Articles should be between 750 and 1,250 words in length (notes included).
The winner’s essay will be published in the fall issue of Esse. Thanks to the partnership between the Hnatyshyn Foundation and Esse, the author will receive a $1,000 bursary, support from the editorial board for the final edit, and a two-year subscription to the magazine. The winner will also have the opportunity to publish a second text, with an additional honorarium of $500, on our online platform.
Two $500 bursaries will be awarded to the finalists, along with the online publication of their essay. The finalists will receive a one-year subscription to the magazine.
Submissions may be in English or in French.
Please consult the program’s guidelines on the Esse website before submitting your text.
For anyone who is not submitting an essay, but is interested in learning more, you can read previous years’ winning texts by creating a free account on Esse’s website!
