Paul Kiritsis is pleased to announce the fourth Dorothea Dix Award for all those who have overcome or battled mental or physical illness, disability, or injury. For 2023-4, the competition will revolve around Kiritsis’s 2023 short story collection Tales of a Spiritual Sun. Entrants are required to answer one of the following two questions.
Tales of a Spiritual Sun: Revisiting the Healing Power of Myth
In classical mythology the Judgement of Paris is frequently cited as the event which triggered the Trojan War. The climactic moment comes when Paris, a prince of Troy, awards the golden apple to the goddess Aphrodite after she offers him an irresistible bribe in the guise of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Troy. In bequeathing Aphrodite the apple Paris, acknowledges her as the “fairest” of the Olympian goddesses. What does the phrase “For the fairest” mean to you?
OR
Aphrodite, who features prominently in the Eros and Psyche retelling, is the goddess of beauty. Her name in Greek means foam-born, alluding to her violent origins and the inextricable connection between all-encompassing love (union) and the friction of war (separation). Give your own contemporary account of the birth of Aphrodite.
Responses to questions can be visual or verbal, drawn or written. There are no entry fees, however entrants must purchase a copy of Tales of a Spiritual Sun and furnish proof of purchase (i.e., receipt) when they submit. Written entries should not exceed 1500 words. They can be emailed to paul@paulkiritsis.net with “Tales of a Spiritual Sun Competition” in the subject line. The deadline for submissions is May 30th, 2024. Winners will be announced on July 15th, 2024, and notified beforehand via email.
First Prize: A museum-quality handmade art reproduction of “The Birth of Venus” by artist George Spencer Watson in 1933. The oil painting will be reproduced on artist-level linen canvas by an expert painter. Both certificate of authenticity and award certificate are included.
Second Prize: The handmade rose gold and silver apple locket pendant by GemmaJJewellery. Award certificate is included.
Judge: Paul Kiritsis
JUDGE BIOGRAPHY
Paul Kiritsis is a licensed medical psychologist living and working in the Bay Area and the Amazon bestselling author of Tales of a Spiritual Sun. He has authored eight books, including the forthcoming The Riddle of Alchemy, (2024), and holds postgraduate degrees in psychology (PsyD), medicine (MScMed), history (MA), and professional writing and speech (GradDip). He is also the recipient of 22 awards, including the Paracelsus Award presented by the International Alchemy Guild (IAG) for the exceptional academic resources offered on his personal website, Down the Rabbit Hole. Kiritsis manages his own YouTube channel where he presents compelling content on mind-matter interaction, psychiatry, psychology, and societal issues.
The Dorothea Dix Award is recommencing after a seven-year hiatus. The three prior competitions took place in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Each of the twelve winners will have their names inscribed on a perpetual trophy and the twelve entries combined will form a core component of a substantial book that Paul Kiritsis will publish on consciousness, illness, and belief.
The winners of the competition will be announced on July 15th, 2024, on Kiritsis’s YouTube channel and personal website. Winners will also be informed via email the week before.
Inquiries: 650-619-7825 (US number)
Closing date: Thursday 30th May 2024 at 5pm PT
Further information: www.paulkiritsis.net
Once again, submissions can be sent to paul@paulkiritsis.net with “Tales of a Spiritual Sun Competition” in the subject line. Remember to include a signed entry form with your submission.
