King's College London

The German Department of King's College London is seeking to publish one original piece of writing in German on 'Jugend und Protest', written by a student of German in Year 12 or 13. 

On September 20 2019, over 4 million people in 161 countries took to the streets to campaign against climate change. At the forefront of this Global Climate Strike was 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who has entered the spotlight as the leader of an international youth movement that is pushing governments and businesses to confront the climate crisis.

The scale of the Global Climate Strike is clearly unprecedented. However, there exists a long history of youth activism, with examples ranging from the American civil rights movements and the 1968 student protests across Europe to the ‘Arab Spring’ of 2011. But why have young people so often played a leading role in bringing about major social and political change? What are the main issues facing young activists today? What strategies should they use to make their voices heard on a local, national or international level? And what might the future hold for youth activism?

This competition invites you to engage with these issues or choose others that are of significance to you. You may engage with the topic from any angle, and your response may take the form of a discursive article or a more creative prose text.

Prizes

The author of the winning article will receive a book token and will have their entry published in the winter edition of the Königspost, the Department newspaper, which has a wide circulation among university students and learners of German across the UK. Prizes will also be awarded to runners-up.

Ceremony

The winner and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony and seminar at King’s College London in early December 2019.

Format

Articles should be 400-450 words in length and written in German. The topic may be addressed from any angle; your article may take the form of a discursive essay, or you may choose a more creative form. Articles will be judged on the basis of both content and language.

Submission

Articles should be submitted by email, together with the entry form, to catherine.smale@kcl.ac.uk, by 18 November 2019.