Since 1986, more than 61,000 high school students throughout the world have entered essay contests based on Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Anthem, earning more than $100,000 in cash prizes.
     Sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI), The Fountainhead and Anthem essay contests, in their 14th and 7th years respectively, offer top awards of $10,000 for The Fountainhead contest (second and third prizes total $20,000), and $1,000 for the Anthem contest (second and third prizes total $4,000).
     Contestants must choose one of several topics dealing with the characters and themes in the novels. The contests are designed to promote critical thinking and writing skills. Essays are judged both on style and content. ARI has found that both novels especially appeal to high school students. The Fountainhead, first published in 1943, offers the vision of a totally independent man, architect Howard Roark, who stands against society's conventions. Anthem, first published in 1938, depicts a collectivist dictatorship in the future in which the word "I" has vanished, and how a lone dissident discovers its spiritual meaning.
     "Both novels are inspirational and filled with conflict between good and evil, in addition to presenting important ideas in a serious and exciting way," says Michael S. Berliner, executive director of ARI, an educational organization founded in 1985 to promote Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. Last year, the contests attracted more than 7,000 entries, some from as far away as Japan, India and Pakistan.
     This year, The Fountainhead and Anthem contests are being joined by the new Atlas Shrugged essay contest, which is open to college business students. The winners of the three essay contests will be announced in the spring of 1999.