The Way We Work - $1,000 prize

It’s International Workers’ Day, and we have an exciting announcement!

Do you have a story to tell about work? At Lux magazine and Dirt we’ve been thrilled to publish essays about the jobs we love, hate, and suffer through in the 21st century. Whether it’s the diary of an abortion fund worker, waitress or an elder care worker; advice for evading a bullshit job; what we learned about corporate pinkwashing or finance or writing as labor; or a psychoanalytic meditation on what it takes to work under patriarchy, we stay fascinated with the meaning and makeup of work. We’d love to hear about yours.

Lux and Dirt are pleased to announce a $1,000 prize for the best narrative-driven cultural criticism about work. We are especially interested in personal stories about the ways labor shapes our lives, health, politics and perspectives. All essays should be submitted complete in the 1,500-2,000 word range and previously unpublished. The deadline for submissions is June 1st, 2025. 

The winning entry will be published in both Lux and Dirt. Submissions can be sent to [email protected].

Who we are: 

Lux is a feminist magazine of politics and culture founded in 2021.

Dirt is a next-generation entertainment brand using emerging technology to tell the coolest stories about culture and collecting.