Prada on the look out for literary talent

Words have great power. Words have great meaning. They have the ability elicit so many emotions, bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye or just set you free. Bearing all this in mind, Miuccia Prada, known for her intellectual approach to fashion, has launched an international writing contest in collaboration with Italian publishing house Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore.

The Italian design house’s expansion outside of fashion is greatly motivated by their spectacular eyewear, labelled Prada Eyewear.

A statement on the website explains: “By using the metaphor of prescription glasses, Prada enters a world made of written words, rather than spoken, thus launching a challenge to explore and enhance the individual interpretation of reality. Optical eyewear [has] become an opportunity and a tool to investigate diverse creative worlds: a preferred channel and a window on our world, and — why not — on new potential worlds.”

Glasses are to be used as a tool through which new creative worlds can be explored; altering the individual interpretation of reality.

Budding authors are given the following subject line for their essays: “What are the realities that our eyes give back to us? And how are these realities filtered through lenses?”

The contest closes on 18^th June. Only one piece of writing per person is permitted and applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission. The winner’s list will be announced on 31^st December. The winner, or winners, will each receive €5,000 (£4,280), including the publication of their essays as a digital book available to read via the Prada website.

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.” Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind.

If you live and breathe words, take this opportunity to have your talented writing in the spotlight. The deadline is not too far away. The Devil does READ Prada too!

Pooja Sahny

Entrees can be submitted through the Prada website here.