Our deepest thanks to all the young people who entered the Per Capita Young Writers’ Prize 2019. We had more entries this year than ever before, from young people aged 16-24 in school, university, and work.
It’s time to announce the winners!
First Prize – $1500
First prize was awarded to Alexander North, aged 24, who proposed a federal job guarantee. The judges gave Alexander the following feedback:
“The judges agreed that your essay is a superb paper on how to achieve full employment by implementing a federal job guarantee. They found your argument coherent and well researched, with the copious footnotes showing the wide array of sources on which you draw. Your argument for a policy of full employment based on government being an employer of last resort, automatically increasing and decreasing ‘buffer stock’ jobs according to the cyclical rhythms of the private sector capitalist economy, was clearly and effectively presented. The judges agree that your proposal deserves widespread examination.”
You can read Alexander’s full entry here:
Second Prize – $500
Second prize was awarded to Manning Clifford, aged 21, who proposed appointing community board members as directors of large Australian companies. The judges gave Manning the following feedback:
“The judges agreed that your paper was highly competent. Its outline of a way to make major companies serve the interests of the community rather than simply the interests of shareholders and top executives was original and well researched. Its structure and style were both professional and accessible. The judges were impressed by the level of detail in your proposal and found your arguments justifying the policy to be convincing.”
You can read Manning’s full entry here:
