Inaugural Essay
Competition
The first dedicated undergraduate competition in Historical Political Economy.
This Year’s Theme
Foundations
What are the origins of modern realities and phenomena? Essays should engage with questions related to historical political economy and follow the discipline’s framework in order to illustrate how actors and institutions have interacted over time.
The theme is intentionally broad, encouraging authors to interpret it freely and bring their own disciplinary perspective to bear. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are welcome.
Selected essays will be published in the first edition of Epoch and awarded monetary prizes.
Key Dates
Deadlines
Submissions Open
April
Submission window opens
Submission Deadline
26 June
23:59 BST — no late entries accepted
Results Announced
July
Winners notified by email
Publication
August
First edition goes live
Prizes
Awards & Recognition
First Place
£500
Monetary prize, publication in the inaugural edition, and recognition from the editorial board.
Second Place
£200
Monetary prize and publication in the inaugural edition of Epoch.
Third Place
£100
Monetary prize and publication in the inaugural edition of Epoch.
4th – 8th Place
£20
Honourable mention prize and publication in the inaugural edition of Epoch.
Who Can Enter
Eligibility & Guidelines
Status
Current undergraduate students enrolled at any university.
Disciplines
Open to students in History, Politics, Economics, and closely related disciplines.
Originality
Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work not under review at any other publication simultaneously.
AI Policy
The use of AI-generated content is strictly prohibited. Submissions found to contain AI-generated content will be disqualified and may be reported to the student’s university.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and may be reported to the student’s university.
Submission
Essays must be submitted via hpeundergraduatejournal@gmail.com.
Length
Papers must be between 3,000 and 5,000 words.
Formatting
Chicago Style, following the Notes-Bibliography system.
Language
Essays will only be accepted if written in English.
Cover Page
Essays must include a cover page with the research question, title, and name of the author.
Deadline
26 June 2026, 23:59 BST. Submissions will not be accepted after the deadline.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to submit?
The competition is open to current undergraduate students at any university, studying History, Politics, Economics, or a closely related discipline.
Can I submit work I have already submitted for a course?
Yes, provided the work has not been previously published and is not currently under review at another publication. Work submitted for academic assessment is eligible.
What does the review process look like?
All submissions are subject to double-blind peer review. Successful essays then undergo a substantive editorial process before publication in the inaugural edition.
Do I need to be a student at King’s College London?
No. The competition is open to undergraduate students at any university globally, provided they are studying an eligible discipline.
How do I get in touch with a question not covered here?
Please reach out at hpeundergraduatejournal@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Ready to submit?
Epoch Journal 