The International Aldous Huxley Centre in Tallinn invites young people up to the age of 25 to submit their thoughts and insights to the essay competition "Crisis and a Way Out."

"The fundamental problem of the 21st century is ecological." — Aldous Huxley

Huxley's work can be a starting point for writing – for setting out on a path and putting into words what feels important in today's and tomorrow's world.

Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) was one of the most versatile authors of the 20th century. He is usually seen as a representative of utopian and dystopian genres; he is less often analysed from the perspective of nature and ecology. Yet in Island (Saar), written at a time when ecological awareness was lower than it is today, Huxley wrote prophetic words: "One must never let a child get the impression that anything exists in isolation. From the very beginning, it must be made clear that all living nature is interconnected. Show them the relationships and connections in the forest, in the fields, in ponds and rivers, in the village and in the countryside around it. Rub it in... We are allowed to live on this planet only so long as we treat all nature with compassion and with intelligence."

The deadline is 31 March 2025; please send essays to huxley@ebs.ee. Texts up to 2,000 words are welcome, and the winner will be awarded EUR 1,500.