My name is Prashansa Taneja and I'm a second-year English undergraduate at the University of Delhi. I have just been awarded the first prize in the annual essay competition (college division) organized by the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) for my essay "Lovers of their Time: Untimeliness in Pride and Prejudice". You can read the official announcement here. I am the first South Asian student to ever win this prize.

JASNA have invited me as a guest of honour to their Annual General Meeting to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA from September 27-29, which will be a large gathering of prominent Austen scholars and academics. I plan to do my postgraduate research on Austen, and it will be extremely helpful for my academic career if I can put the money together and attend the conference. JASNA have offered to put me up at the conference hotel, but I will have to pay for my airplane ticket which will come to around $1400. I will also have to pay for my meals, taxi fare etc. and probably an extra night or two in the hotel. The cost of the entire trip will come to at least $2000. I have received a scholarship of $1000 from JASNA, but I require another $1000 to get to the US. Please help me get there.