The H. G. Wells Society is pleased to announce the inaugural Giles Hart Prize, in memory of the Society's former chairman, for an essay that makes an outstanding contribution to Wells studies. The prize will be awarded to the piece of work on Wells submitted to, and published in, the 2012 issue of The Wellsian the annual, peer-reviewed, learned journal of the H. G. Wells Society.

Papers concerning any aspect of Wells's life and work are invited. Possible themes might include: Wells's science fiction; Wells and the novel; Wells, utopia, politics and the World State; Wells and science; Wells and his contemporaries; Wells and gender; Wells and the Empire; Wells and the history of the book.

Essays should not exceed 6,000 words including all footnotes and should not have been previously published. Please see http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/UK/wellsian.html, and refer to recent issues of The Wellsian, for style guidelines; work that presented at a low standard will not be considered for the prize. Essays should be submitted electronically, no later than 31st March 2012, to m.r.glass@durham.ac.uk; please direct any queries to s.j.james@durham.ac.uk.

The value of the prize is £250.00. The committee of the H. G. Wells Society will judge the competition, and runners-up will be published alongside the winning essay in The Wellsian. The competition excludes individuals serving on the Executive Committee of the H G Wells Society.

For details on joining the Society, see http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/