The Spanish Tolkien Society (further references by its Spanish abbreviation, STE), through the Humanities Commission, with the aim of promoting and encouraging the knowledge and study of J. R. R. Tolkien’s life and works, announces the 21th edition of its Ælfwine Essay Awards, which are subject to the following RULES: (Download Essay Rules)
First.- Any person may participate, except the Jury members and the Liaisons.
Second.- Two types of essays will be accepted for competition in two distinct categories: ACADEMIC ESSAY and LITERARY ESSAY.
Third.- All essays, written both in Spanish and any other co-official language of Spain, or in English, must be original (unpublished in any format before the award ceremony date) and must refer to the work or the person of J. R. R. Tolkien or his cultural impact. The Jury will eventually decide if this requirement is met, in accordance with the Thirteenth Rule.
In order to achieve a satisfactory evaluation of essays written in co-official languages of Spain, a translation must accompany the original text. The translation may be in English or Spanish.
Fourth.- Essays in both categories will be no more than ten thousand (10,000) words, excluding footnotes and bibliography, which will not be taken into account for the calculation of the maximum length of the essay.
Fifth. – The two categories are:
1.The ACADEMIC ESSAY is a research paper, where the author presents a reasoned issue in accordance with matters expressed in the 3rd point of the rules, and must include a proposal, an exposition and some conclusions. Bibliographic references must be used. The use of citations and/or footnotes is required, as well as the inclusion of a bibliography at the end of the essay. The preferred citation styles are APA and MLA. There are examples of both in the Appendix.
2.The LITERARY ESSAY is a text in which the author presents an issue in accordance with matters expressed in the 3rd point of the rules, but with no need of citations and academic formalities. Priority shall instead be given to freedom of form, favouring a more expository, literary, and humanistic character, and allowing for the inclusion of purely personal opinions and evaluations.
Sixth.- Each participant may submit as many essays as they wish with the same pseudonym, but they shall only be eligible for one prize in each category.
Seventh.- Texts must be submitted in electronic format and with a separate file enclosing the author’s contact information: name and surname, address, phone number, email and the category in which the work is competing. Their receipt will be acknowledged as soon as possible.
– «essay title».*
– data-«essay title». *
Example,
– Dragons lair.*
– data-Dragons lair.*
The use of WORD or PDF formats is recommended, as well as the use of Arial or Times New Roman font, size 12.
Participants are advised to review the metadata of submitted essays to ensure that they contain no personally identifiable information.
The Jury shall require and positively assess the correct use of spelling and grammar in the text, as well as its paragraph alignment and indentation.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the writing of submissions is strictly prohibited, whether in the text or in images, illustrations, or graphics The Organizing Committee may use detection systems to verify compliance with this prohibition.
Those files must be sent by email to: premios.aelfwine@gmail.com
Eighth.- The deadline for the submission of essays is Sunday, August 9th, 2026, at 23:59:59h CET.
Ninth.- The result of the contest will be announced on the official website of STE, www.sociedadtolkien.org, on Sunday, September 17th, 2026. The winners will be directly informed of the place and time of the award ceremony in due time.
Tenth.- The prizes are as follows.
Academic essay:
– 1st prize: €450, a diploma and a trophy.
– 2nd prize: €200 and a diploma.
– 3rd prize: €100 and a diploma.
Literary essay:
– 1st prize: €450, a diploma and a trophy.
– 2nd prize: €200 and a diploma.
The Jury reserves the right to grant runner-up and honorary awards, with a diploma but without a cash prize.
The Jury may award ex-aequo prizes, in which case the prizes will be distributed equally.
The Organizing Committee of the contest also reserves the right to add other non-monetary prizes. STE will cover potential shipping costs to Spain. Should the winner live overseas, the shipping overcost will be assumed by the winner.
Eleventh.- The Jury may declare the prizes void.
Twelfth.- STE reserves the right (non-exclusive and without economic compensation) to publish the winning essays. It may also publish any un-awarded essays, but always asking for the author’s written permission first.
Thirdteenth.- The Jury reserves the right to resolve any issue not covered by these rules, and their decisions will be unappealable. The composition of the Jury is: Paula de Andrés, María Fernández, Patricia Millán y Magalí Peiró.
The Organizing Committee reserves the right to appoint one or more alternate members of the Jury, whose identities may be determined following the publication of these Rules. Such alternate members may replace any appointed Jury member in the event of resignation, conflict of interest, justified unavailability, or force majeure, and shall assume all corresponding roles, rights, and responsibilities.
Fourteenth.- For any question related to this contest, you may send an email to premios.aelfwine@gmail.com
Fifteenth.- In accordance with the provisions set forth in the applicable data protection regulations (Regulation (EU) 2016/679, General Data Protection Regulation, and Organic Law 3/2018 on the Protection of Personal Data), participants are hereby informed that the data controller of their personal data is the Sociedad Tolkien Española, with Tax Identification Number (CIF): G-03807393, and registered address at Carrer del Sol, 1 Baix, 07100 Sóller, Balearic Islands, Spain.
The personal data provided through participation shall be processed for the purpose of managing participation in the competition. In the event that a participant is awarded a prize, their personal data shall be used for the notification and delivery of the prize, as well as for its public announcement through the website https://www.sociedadtolkien.org.
The legal basis for the processing of personal data is participation in the competition, consent being formalized through acceptance of the competition rules. The data shall be retained for the duration of the competition process and, once the award decision has been issued, for the legally established periods required to address any potential liabilities.
At any time, participants may exercise their rights of access, rectification, erasure, objection, restriction of processing, or formally withdraw the consent granted. Withdrawal of consent shall entail the participant’s exclusion from the competition. Participants may also lodge a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection
Sixteenth.- Entering this contest implies full acceptance of these Rules.
