Magonia Essay Competition

Roger Sandell Memorial Essay Competition
This year it is 10 years since our great friend and colleague Roger Sandell died, and many times in those years we have wondered what he would have made of some strange developments in the fields we study. With his characteristically incisive mind, encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject's literature, and his sheer wit and humour, it would undoubtedly be something which would illuminate the topic and help us understand it better.
To remember Roger we have on a couple of occasions held essay competitions on topics which were of particular interest to him, to try to encourage and develop discussion, and we felt that this sad anniversary would be a suitable time for another.
One of Roger's particular interests, as long-time Magonia readers will know, was the world of conspiracy theories - he was perhaps at the time the leading British expert on the subject of conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination. Of course, this does not mean to say that he _believed_ any particular theory, but that as a historian it was necessary to know about and understand them, and the climate in which they arose.
Similarly with the Satanic Abuse panic of the early nineties he brought an understanding of earlier conspiracy claims and rumours to bear on a contemporary issue. He also contributed articles to a number of political publications which stripped away some of the myths surrounding political conspiracy theories and, indeed, revealed some of the realities behind them as well.
So we are inaugurating the third Roger Sandell Memorial Essay Competition, with two topics for you to choose from, as set out below:
Conspiracy Theories
Obviously we are not asking you to advocate any one particular theory, but to look at the history of theories, how they develop, the effects they have on society and the individual and the ways in which they shape their surroundings.
We are a UFO-oriented magazine, so our main interest will be in UFO-related theories, but in many ways, as Roger demonstrated in his essays, this whole field is indivisible - right-wing politics infiltrates ufology, UFOs turn up in 9/11 conspiracies - so no aspect of the subject can be ruled out.
Make Ufology History
There is another topic which we would like to offer for your consideration. We've had a bit of fun lately with The Pelican's "Make Ufology History" campaign, but it does have a serious point. It is in fact asking if ufology really exists as a science or "proto-science". Is there any coherent intellectual structure to the study of UFOs, or is it simply a hobby, which involves collecting random pieces of data and arranging them into patterns, rather like a stamp collector might set out an album page - an interesting exercise, and in many ways satisfying, even educational, but hardly a scientific endeavour. We would welcome your thoughts on this as well - is ufology a science, could it ever be a science, or is The Pelican right, and we should "Make Ufology History"?
There will be a prize of £100 (or equivalent) for the best essay, which will be judged by the editors of Magonia. The winning entry and any other suitable essays will, subject to agreement with the authors, be published in Magonia. We are looking for contributions of about 6000-7000 words length, which should be in English. The closing date for entries will be 1 June 2006. Entries may be submitted typed on A4 paper and sent to:
John Rimmer
5 James Terrace
Mortlake Churchyard
LONDON
SW14 8HB
United Kingdom
They may also be submitted by e-mail. Please use plain text or RTF format and email your essay to Click here with "Essay Competition Entry" in the subject line. The winning entry will be announced in our autumn issue in August or September.