The Fountain Essay Contest 2025

“Real or Fake?”: Reflections on How We Experience Life in the AI Age

…And the Winners Are:

1^st Place
The Counterfeit Nightingale and the Real Song
By Shivangi

2^nd Place
Between Sidq and Simulation: On Authenticity in the Age of AI
By Fatimah Azzahra Ishak

3^rd Place
Real is Fake and Fake is Real / Art and Precarity in the Age of AI: A Critical Review
By Jagriti Sharma

Honorable Mention
The Things We Count in the Dark, or the Insomnia of Authenticity
By Olesia Tsvientukh

Honorable Mention
EuloGPT
By Jed Richardson

Congratulations also to all who made to top ten:

“Ghosts in the Machine: Talking to My Father in the AI Age”
By Leander P. E. Isler

“The Last Broadcast”
By Hale Hayta

“The Fragility of Real”
By Alberte Kastrup

“The Cathedral I Found Inside a Typing Box at Midnight”
By Raphael Joseph D. Osano

“A Love Letter to Human Error”
By Anwita D. Pillai

Congratulations to the winners!

You may also want to see 2025 Essay Contest Shortlist.

All of us want to be perfect. But how healthy is it to be a perfectionist? Reviewing Thomas Curran’s The Perfection Trap, Adam Sahin says we need a more balanced approach when we set goals for our lives. The pressure to appear flawless, Sahin reports from Flett and Hewitt, “especially when it comes from society at large – often goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression.” Social media comparisons make the situation more challenging with the constant flow of endless, amplified humbling options that inadvertently appear before our eyes. Sahin explains how widespread this vulnerability is, giving examples from some celebrities who had to pay a high price for their perfectionism. Also found in Sahin’s piece is important recommendations from Prophetic wisdom that emphasize humility, moderation, embracing fallibility, and compassion.

As a follow-up to the perfectionist trap mentioned above, when we look at certain events in the cosmos, we tend to think the universe is not so perfect at all. In the words of Fehmi Akbaba in this issue, “in everyday life, we observe this principle in the tendency of things to break down or decay: metal rusts, organisms age…” “machines wear out, and living things eventually die.” According to physicist and theologian Sir John Polkinghorne, “There are just so many more ways to be disordered than ordered.” Reflecting on the “eventual death of the solar system” and the extinction of the cosmos into “a dark, cold, and lifeless expanse,” one hardly finds any consolation. Akbaba offers in his “Traces of Divine Order in Cosmic Disorder” many convincing points to reason that “the cosmos has not been left to itself” and that the creation is “intentional and meaningful.”

Now a matter of political polarization, “diversity” is a phenomenon ingrained in nature and human life. Humans share about 99% of the same DNA, writes Kerem Yalcin, but “the remaining 1% accounts for a remarkable diversity in our traits and characteristics” and “how susceptible people are to different diseases.” Of course, lifestyle, nutrition, geographical location, and environmental influences are also important factors. In this issue, Yalcin explains the “All of Us” research program initiated to reduce a longstanding challenge in medicine: “the inequities in health outcomes and disease risk among different racial and social groups – commonly referred to as health disparities.” Yalcin hopes that the outcomes of this program “have the potential to improve healthcare accessibility and quality for individuals from all walks of life, reduce healthcare costs, and prevent disease before their onset.”

Reinforcing the idea of “All of Us,” Suleyman Tek writes on how teamwork can help us rise together. “When we work together with a shared purpose – whether in families, workplaces, or communities – not only do we achieve more, but we help lift one another up along the way.”

Seeing the order in the universe, rising together collectively, or being on the path of perfection without being a perfectionist – all of it rests firmly on the foundation of listening to one another, a topic extensively covered in the Lead Article.

Real or Fake?

Reflections on How We Experience Life in the AI Age

“The picture reflects all the instructions. But something looks off, though I’m not so sure what it is.”

“The script is quite good. But why is it repetitive?”

“What a tragedy! But hold on, is this news real?”

New AI technologies have introduced amazing capabilities for content creation – beyond what we could have imagined. We are all excited to produce scripts, illustrations, videos, and so much more with this constantly evolving cutting-edge technology at the tip of our fingers.

But do they feel as genuine as we would normally expect? Do we feel the same sense of fulfilment or claim ownership as we otherwise would? Immersed in our screens, how real—or fake—does life feel? Do our relationships matter at all? How real are our friendships with others?

Participate in the contest and share your reflections.

• Submissions to be posted: July 1, 2025 – September 30, 2025
• Contest open to all writers worldwide
• Ideal word count to be between 1,500 and 2,500
• For submissions: CLICK TO SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY

Cash prizes

• 1st Place – $1,000
• 2nd Place – $500
• 3rd Place – $300
• Two Honorable Mentions – $150 each

Frequently Asked Questions

• THEME
• REFERENCES
• WORD COUNT
• STYLE
• PUBLISHING
• NUMBER OF ENTRY
• DISQUALIFICATION
• EVALUATION
• SUBMISSION
• DEADLINE
• ELIGIBILITY

THEME

What qualifies a good essay?

An essay that you feel your heart rests more comfortably on. The more concise an essay, the more acceptable it is. Its authenticity and uniqueness, and how elaborately you put your theme into words so that others are inspired from it.

REFERENCES

Do we have to include references, bibliography, notes, etc. as in an academic journal?

The Fountain is not a journal. Thus, we do not expect a full scale reference list for all the information you provide. But, we encourage contributors to provide at least a reasonable number of references (not more than four or five) especially for the arguments borrowed from other sources, as it would make your work more reliable. If the kind of information you provide needs citation, please provide it; but essays with lengthy references are not preferred. Some reference and recommendations for further reading may help readers who are interested in the essay. Accuracy of data is expected in essays in which information provided needs sourcing. An essay based on personal experience does not require citation, and it is equally acceptable.

WORD COUNT

Does the word count limit include the bibliography or just the essay itself?

The Fountain is not a full-scale academic journal, so we expect authors to keep references to a maximum of four or five. Notes can be more. References and notes do not make a big change in word count which is advised to be between 1,500 and 2,500. A range is always necessary to be able to have an objective measure in terms of size.

STYLE

What kind of writing style do you expect? Can we use informal phrases? Is this essay supposed to be a personal opinion piece, or more of a scholarly supported article?

In writing style, we mainly seek consistency. We prefer the Chicago Manual of Style, but if you are more familiar with another style, that is also acceptable. Some informal usage can be OK in a certain essay, but not in another. It is basically the author’s call.

Would an essay in the short story genre qualify for the contest?

As long as your theme is skillfully woven through its structure, and if it upholds The Fountain’s values and principles, yes.

PUBLISHING

Are you going to publish submitted essays anywhere?

We might publish submissions in The Fountain, both the print and web editions, even if the essays did not win any prize. Other entrants may also be offered publication. Although by submitting your essay to this contest, you agree that you give permission to The Fountain to publish it in any medium, this does not restrict authors from withdrawing from The Fountain should they not win, and they are free to submit it elsewhere. Be advised to notify The Fountain in advance so your submission is removed.

NUMBER OF ENTRY

Can I submit more than one essay?

No. One entry per person.

DISQUALIFICATION

What makes an essay disqualified?

• Offensive and devotional essays — particularly essays that emphasize superiority of a specific worldview or derogating a specific worldview—will be disqualified. Essays that “propagate” a certain spiritual order, a religious denomination, a spiritual leader, or a political activist, etc. in a way that subordinates all other faiths and traditions are considered devotional and will be disqualified.
• Title is missing – Do not forget to put a title. Titles are important for readers and reviewers to see what lies in the center of your message. Missing title will disqualify your submission.
• Submissions already published elsewhere are not accepted.

EVALUATION

Who will determine the winners? Can you explain more specifically what you are looking for in a winner?

The winners will be determined by our board who will decide according to the literary effectiveness of the essay in reflecting the philosophy behind the motto, richness in content, and authenticity.

All submitted essays will be evaluated using the following criteria.

1. Relevance to the contest theme (40 points)
2. Innovation & creativity (30 points)
3. Writing style and structure (30 points)

SUBMISSION

How am I going to submit my essay?

For submissions: CLICK TO SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY

DEADLINE

When is the last day for submissions?

September 30, 2025

ELIGIBILITY

Who is eligible to participate in this contest?

There is no age limit or a condition to fulfill for entry. The contest is open to all who want to share his or her ideas with us.

“Knowledge was a dot.” As mysterious as it sounds, this ancient statement says a lot in a few words, which Hikmet Adem is attempting to unpack in this issue. The learned men of the past were not experts in one field only – you would find them to be as knowledgeable in medicine as in astronomy, math, or religion; they knew and what they knew was a whole in their own capacity. But over time, knowledge seems to have multiplied, and this is seen as a progress in the modern mindset. While physicists are seeking an “ultimate theory,” Adem argues, “the universe becomes more meaningful” when we can explain it not only with what is visible, but also with what is not.

In the Emerald Hills of the Heart section, we study the concept of the “Special Knowledge from God’s Presence.” In contrast to the ultimate theory physicists search, it is noted in this piece, seekers of divine knowledge “search for the Ultimate Truth” and they “pay no attention to the knowledge of what people say.”

Searching the Ultimate Truth is something that can be pursued by people of belief, whose “most important characteristic” is their faith. Gülen explains in the lead article how faith transforms a person: “When faith enters hearts within its own frame of reference, the person’s thoughts concerning the universe, natural phenomena, and God all suddenly change, deepening and reaching a vastness which allows them to evaluate all existence as if it were the pages of an open book.”

Do you have any phobias? We fear many things – some of us fear flying, others fear dogs, while others fear death. Strangely, fear of spiders (arachnophobia) tops the list of major phobias among people. Dr. Oztunc explains how fear is a part of human life in his “When Fear Steers the Soul,” however unreasonable many of them are. While laying out how fear is a gift for our protection, he also gives a mathematical solution for bringing our fears under control.

This year’s Essay Contest poses a crucial question, one which will likely occupy our minds for years to come: “Real or Fake?” The contest is inviting writers to contemplate on the age of artificial intelligence that is rapidly seeping into our lives with many promising capabilities and of course questions. As we feel empowered by this cutting-edge technology in our hands, we are wondering how real our life experiences feel in the world that is now emerging before our very eyes. Perhaps in a near future, we will not know the difference, or become so immersed in it that we will replace the real with the fake.

…And the winners are:

1st Place

“Home Is Tucked Under the Smiling Sunflower Seeds” by Azra Ozturk

2nd Place

“Home Is Kobayashi Issa’s Cherry Blossoms” by Moon Taha Teen Nikita

3rd Place

“How To Build a Home From a Toolkit and a Sourdough Starter” by Pimvarin Srihawan

Honorable Mention

“Beyond Home: The Spirit of Sydney” by Brianna Head

Honorable Mention

“The Cartography of the Heart: Where Home Isn’t a Place, But a Night Sky” by Yamini Ramesh

Congratulations to the winners!

You may also want to see 2024 Essay Contest Shortlist.

Let’s up the excitement a bit higher! Here is the Top Ten. Award winners will be announced very soon!!

• “My Home, My Stability” by Michaela Harhajova
• “A Mosquito Meets a Memory” by Maggie Whelan-Curtin
• “A Personal Cartography of Home” by Daniella Musimbi
• “Beyond Home: The Spirit of Sydney” by Brianna Head
• “Home Is Kobayashi Issa’s Cherry Blossoms” by Moon Taha Teen Nikita
• “Home Is Tucked Under the Smiling Sunflower Seeds” by Azra Ozturk
• “How To Build a Home From a Toolkit and a Sourdough Starter” by Pimvarin Srihawan
• “The Cartography of the Heart: Where Home Isn’t a Place, But a Night Sky” by Yamini Ramesh
• “The Path to Eternal Home: From Temporary Shelters to Lasting Peace” by Zeynep Orhan
• “Footsteps of Belonging Tracing the Path to Home” by Hale Hayta

Countdown to the winners is around the corner! Here is the shortlist for Essay Contest 2024. We congratulate all the participants. Winners will be announced very soon. Please follow our announcements!

• “My Home, My Stability” by Michaela Harhajova
• “A Mosquito Meets a Memory” by Maggie Whelan-Curtin
• “A Personal Cartography of Home” by Daniella Musimbi
• “The Concept of Home: An Analysis of Its True Significance” by Mary Joy Tempra
• “Is Home Really Just Brick and Mortar?” by Selman Uzun
• “An Account of the Woods” by Allie Schick
• “An Alphabet of Home” by Lisa-Anne Julien
• “Call Me Kama’āina (Please)” by Madison Stevens
• “Home Or Heaven” by Aditya Goel
• “Shadows of Home” by Golf Greener
• “Though Our Feet Wander, Our Hearts Are Bound to Return” by Hannah Hazzard
• “Footsteps of Belonging Tracing the Path to Home” by Hale Hayta
• “Beyond Home: The Spirit of Sydney” by Brianna Head
• “The Itch to Change” by Keith Herron
• “The Eviction of Innocence” by Kinzie Asmus-Kim
• “Home by Heart” by Brian Warner
• “Home Is Where the Poles Meet” by Kyra Swantkowski
• “Home Is Kobayashi Issa’s Cherry Blossoms” by Moon Taha Teen Nikita
• “Home Is Tucked Under the Smiling Sunflower Seeds” by Azra Ozturk
• “Home Is Dinner Every Night” by Marie Vibbert
• “How To Build a Home From a Toolkit and a Sourdough Starter” by Pimvarin Srihawan
• “Nest on the Sea, or Art” by Jaeyong Park
• “The Cartography of the Heart: Where Home Isn’t a Place, But a Night Sky” by Yamini Ramesh
• “The Path to Eternal Home: From Temporary Shelters to Lasting Peace” by Zeynep Orhan
• “The Places We Belong To” by Red Thunder
• “The Stars Will Not Collide” by Phelelani Makhanya
• “Welcome to a Home Built in Fleeting Glamourized Desperation” by Yvette Rejuso
• “A House Called Home: A Place, a Concept, a Dream, a Memory” by Vaishnavi P
• “A Sense of Belonging” by Neth Ak
• “Home: The Paradise of Nature” by Meerab Nofal
• “Home: Where Resilience Develops and Mission Flourishes” by Ali Suleiman

“Home” holds a special place in our lives. A large, luxurious mansion or a small, decrepit place, our homes are hard to replace with anything. Our earliest memories form inside its walls; we utter our first words and take our first steps there. Does everyone feel the same about home? Is it where you were born or where you earn your bread? Is home a physical place? In a world that moves faster than ever and is confined to small screens, how do perceptions about “home” change? Where is home for people who are forced to leave their homes? Where is your home?

• Submissions to be posted: April 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024
• Deadline for submissions: June 30, 2024
• Winners to be announced September 30, 2024
• Contest open to all writers worldwide
• Ideal word count to be between 1,500 and 2,500
• For submissions: CLICK TO SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY

Cash prizes

• 1st Place – $1,000
• 2nd Place – $500
• 3rd Place – $300
• Two Honorable Mentions – $150 each

Frequently Asked Questions

• THEME
• REFERENCES
• WORD COUNT
• STYLE
• PUBLISHING
• NUMBER OF ENTRY
• DISQUALIFICATION
• EVALUATION
• SUBMISSION
• DEADLINE
• ELIGIBILITY

THEME

What qualifies a good essay?

An essay that you feel your heart rests more comfortably on. The more concise an essay, the more acceptable it is. Its authenticity and uniqueness, and how elaborately you put your theme into words so that others are inspired from it.

REFERENCES

Do we have to include references, bibliography, notes, etc. as in an academic journal?

The Fountain is not a journal. Thus, we do not expect a full scale reference list for all the information you provide. But, we encourage contributors to provide at least a reasonable number of references (not more than four or five) especially for the arguments borrowed from other sources, as it would make your work more reliable. If the kind of information you provide needs citation, please provide it; but essays with lengthy references are not preferred. Some reference and recommendations for further reading may help readers who are interested in the essay. Accuracy of data is expected in essays in which information provided needs sourcing. An essay based on personal experience does not require citation, and it is equally acceptable.

WORD COUNT

Does the word count limit include the bibliography or just the essay itself?

The Fountain is not a full-scale academic journal, so we expect authors to keep references to a maximum of four or five. Notes can be more. References and notes do not make a big change in word count which is advised to be between 1,500 and 2,500. A range is always necessary to be able to have an objective measure in terms of size.

STYLE

What kind of writing style do you expect? Can we use informal phrases? Is this essay supposed to be a personal opinion piece, or more of a scholarly supported article?

In writing style, we mainly seek consistency. We prefer the Chicago Manual of Style, but if you are more familiar with another style, that is also acceptable. Some informal usage can be OK in a certain essay, but not in another. It is basically the author’s call.

Would an essay in the short story genre qualify for the contest?

As long as your theme is skillfully woven through its structure, and if it upholds The Fountain’s values and principles, yes.

PUBLISHING

Are you going to publish submitted essays anywhere?

We might publish submissions in The Fountain, both the print and web editions, even if the essays did not win any prize. By submitting your essay to this contest, you agree that you give permission to The Fountain to publish it in any medium.

As the copyright holders before published, the authors have the right to submit their work elsewhere on condition that they notify The Fountain in advance.

NUMBER OF ENTRY

Can I submit more than one essay?

No. One entry per person.

DISQUALIFICATION

What makes an essay disqualified?

• Offensive and devotional essays — particularly essays that emphasize superiority of a specific worldview or derogating a specific worldview—will be disqualified. Essays that “propagate” a certain spiritual order, a religious denomination, a spiritual leader, or a political activist, etc. in a way that subordinates all other faiths and traditions are considered devotional and will be disqualified.
• Title is missing – Do not forget to put a title. Titles are important for readers and reviewers to see what lies in the center of your message. Missing title will disqualify your submission.
• Submissions already published elsewhere are not accepted.

EVALUATION

Who will determine the winners? Can you explain more specifically what you are looking for in a winner?

The winners will be determined by our board who will decide according to the literary effectiveness of the essay in reflecting the philosophy behind the motto, richness in content, and authenticity.

All submitted essays will be evaluated using the following criteria.

1. Relevance to the contest theme (40 points)
2. Innovation & creativity (30 points)
3. Writing style and structure (30 points)

SUBMISSION

How am I going to submit my essay?

For submissions: CLICK TO SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY

DEADLINE

When is the last day for submissions?

June 30, 2024

ELIGIBILITY

Who is eligible to participate in this contest?

There is no age limit or a condition to fulfill for entry. The contest is open to all who want to share his or her ideas with us.

…And the winners are:

1. A Silent Ticking Time Bomb, by Keneth Erfelua
2. What Is Distraction? by Colm O_Shea
3. A Trip to the Zoo, by Zulma Suro
4. Unplugging the Mind: Reclaiming Focus in the Age of Distractions, by Mohammad Abul Mufazzal
5. Distraction Timed, by Allison Hope

The winners will soon receive e-mails from the Editorial Board.

You may also want to see 2023 Essay Contest Shortlist.

Countdown to the winners is around the corner! Here is the shortlist. Winners will be announced very soon. Please follow our announcements!

• “Distraction Timed,” by Allison Hope
• “Unplugging the Mind: Reclaiming Focus in the Age of Distractions,” by Mohammad Abul Mufazzal
• “Focus for Life,” Stephanie Neverdowski
• “How Can We Maintain Focus in a Society Built for Distraction?” by Elizabeth J. Peterson
• “What Is Distraction?” By Colm O’Shea
• “Focused We Toil, Distracted We Dream,” by William Godwin
• “Flux and Fury,” by Temitope Ajao
• “Eco-friendly “sorting out your distractions” system,” by Mette Dencker
• “Interacting with Self to Extract Distractions From the Contract,” by Bilal Sarimeseli
• “Navigating the Seas of Distraction,” by Nesibe Can
• “Scale of Vital Considerations,” by Hannah Onoguwe
• “Setting Priorities,” by Philip Umbrino
• “Redefining Distraction: Taking Ownership of Your Autonomy,” by Chelsea Emerick
• “A Silent Ticking Time Bomb,” by Keneth Erfelua
• “25 Pomodoro Minutes in a Digital World,” by Katharin Garland
• “A Focused Mind,” by Donavon Lewis
• “A Trip to the Zoo,” by Zulma Suro
• “How to Avoid Losing Creative Momentum to Utter Distraction,” by Cynthia Gallaher