Early film and pre-cinema publishers The Projection Box have announced a new award for essays on projected and moving images to 1915. The aims of this award are to encourage new research and new thinking into any historical, artistic or technical aspect of projected and moving images up to 1915; and to promote engaging, accessible, and imaginative work. The first prize of £250 is for an essay of between 5,000 and 8,000 words (including notes).

The deadline for entries is 18 January 2008. The winning essay will also be published in an issue of Early Popular Visual Culture (Routledge). At the discretion of the judges, two runners-up will each receive books and CD-Roms of their choice (published by The Projection Box), to the value of £100.

The award is open to all. Although the judges welcome international submissions, all essays must be in English. Each applicant may submit up to two essays. Work must be the author’s own, and must not have been previously published. There is no time limit on when the work was originally written. Co-authored essays can be accepted. Authors are encouraged to provide appropriate accompanying illustrations, as the winning essay will be published in Early Popular Visual Culture, an illustrated journal. Permissions will need to be sought by the author before publication of the winning entry. Notes and references must be included. Read the guidelines for the required method for referencing your text.

For further information, visit www.pbawards.co.uk.