William A. Wilson Prize for the Best Undergraduate Student Paper in Folk Belief or Religious Folklife

About this program

The Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Section of the American Folklore Society administers the William A. Wilson Prize, awarding a $250 honorarium to the best undergraduate student paper on folk belief or religious folklife. Eligible submissions are research papers in English (published or unpublished) written after January 1 of the previous year, 8–36 pages, double-spaced, 12‑pt font, one‑inch margins, and fully footnoted in Journal of American Folklore citation style; remove author names and identifying metadata for blind review. Required electronic materials (Word or PDF via the AFS prize application form) are a cover letter specifying paper date and venue/publication information, the paper with title, a 100‑word biographical statement including current student status, and a faculty sponsor’s endorsement; one submission per person and previous winners are ineligible. Submissions must be received by July 15; inquiries may be directed to Jessica Turner (jturner@afsnet.org), and the winner will be announced at the Section business meeting and featured in the AFS newsletter.