The Reed Environmental Writing Award celebrates writers who achieve both literary excellence and offer extraordinary insight into the South’s natural treasures and environmental challenges. Presented every year, the Reed Award recognizes outstanding writing on the Southern environment in two categories. The Book category honors works of nonfiction that are not self-published, and the Journalism category honors newspaper, magazine, and online writing published by a recognized institution such as a news organization, university, or nonprofit group.  

The primary judging criterion is the quality of writing style and connection to the South’s environment, overall originality of the piece, and presentation of unique ideas and pressing issues. Cash prizes are awarded to the winner in each category. Winners will be invited to read from their winning entry at a special SELC event during the Virginia Festival of the Book, held every March in Charlottesville, Va.

Requirements for 2025 Awards

• Entries are due October 1, 2024, and must have been published between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
• For the journalism category, minimum length is 1,000 words per entry. Awards are given to an individual writer or are shared among co-writers.
• We welcome nominations from anyone, including authors and publishers.
• Entries must relate to the natural treasures or environmental challenges in at least one of SELC’s states: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia.
• Journalism entries may be a single article, a series on one topic, or a collection on unrelated topics, as long as each article pertains to the environment in one of the six states listed above. The entry as a whole must meet the minimum word length. Entries must be accompanied by a digital version (URL, or email) to verify word length.

Meet our Reed Award judges.

2024/2025 Judges

For more information contact:

• Alexis Bishop
• 434-977-4090
• Southern Environmental Law Center: 120 Garrett Street, Suite 400, Charlottesville, VA 22902-5065