Prizes and Studentships

Prizes

A number of different prizes are available for students and graduate students. If you have any queries about the Faculty's prizes, please contact the Faculty Office.

The prize competitions invite students to interpret the title to produce work that they think addresses or unfolds it in interesting ways; literary and creative and analytic approaches -- or a combination of all three --are equally welcome.

When submitting your entry for a prize the term 'motto' denotes a short phrase (10 words maximum) by which a candidate can be identified to the judges while remaining anonymous. An identifying motto can be anything you like: a motto, a quote, a song lyric, a Latin phrase; e.g. live laugh love, I have a dream, Mr Brightside, ad Astra.

Please complete the ‘CONTACT DETAILS FORM’ and submit this alongside your entry to the English Faculty Office.

PRIZE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA DEADLINE
Jon Stallworthy Poetry Prize Current postgraduate students Michaelmas term
Friday of 8th Week
Matthew Arnold Memorial Prize
  • Oxford BA holders within 7 years of Matriculation
  • Oxford degree holders within 4 years of Matriculation
  • Current postgraduate students within 3 years of Matriculation
Hilary term
Monday of 7th Week
Shelley-Mills Prize Members of the University within 4 years of Matriculation, who have not been
a member of any other University for more than a year
Hilary term
Monday of 8th Week
Chancellor's English Essay Prize Members of the University within 4 years of Matriculation, who have not
previously won this prize

Hilary term
Monday of 8th Week

Sir Roger Newdigate Prize Current Matriculated undergraduate students

Hilary term
Monday of 8th Week

Lord Alfred Douglas Memorial Prize Members of the University, who have not previously won this prize Trinity term
Monday of 1st Week
Sir John Rhŷs Prize

Members of the University, who have not previously won this prize, who:

  • have not previously won this prize
  • have submitted the title of their proposed essay, together with a brief statement of how they envisage treating the subject, to the judges for approval not later than Friday of the fourth week in Michaelmas Full Term
  • shall not on the day appointed for sending in the compositions to the Registrar of the University, have exceeded eight years from the time of their matriculation
Michaelmas term
Monday of 8th Week
English Poem on a Sacred Subject Members of the University, who have not previously won this prize, who:
  • hold a degree from Oxford
  • hold an MA by incorporation, decree, or resolution
  • hold the status of Master of Arts
  • have a degree from any other University

Trinity term
Monday of 8th Week
(every third year)

 

     

Essays and Compositions

The winner for the Jon Stallworthy Poetry Prize in 2023-2024 was Riley Faulds (Worcester College), for his entry 'Selfslip'. The judges would like to thank all those who entered; the award ceremony was held at Wolfson College on Thursday 18 January 2024.

Jon Stallworthy Poetry Prize

The English Faculty and Wolfson College are delighted to announce this year's poetry competition for Oxford postgraduate students. This competition has been set up in memory of the late Professor Jon Stallworthy (1935-2014), poet and Fellow of Wolfson College, and is open to any student currently enrolled in postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford. The funding for the prize has been provided by generous donations to the English Faculty and to Wolfson College (Oxford) from Old Possum's Practical Trust and from the Derek Hill Foundation.

The subject for 2023-24 was "Borders". A prize of £1000 is awarded by two judges, the Professor of Poetry Alicia Stallings and her colleague and fellow-poet Bernard O'Donoghue. The competition is now closed for this year, and the award ceremony took place in the LWA at Wolfson on Thursday 18 January at 6.15pm. 

In 2022-23, the Matthew Arnold Memorial Prize was awarded to Oliver Bingham (Hertford College). The judges would like to thank all those who submitted an entry, and wish them luck in the future. No prize was awarded in 2024.

The Matthew Arnold Memorial Prize, the value of which is £500, providing there is an entry of sufficient merit, is open to members of the University, who, on the closing date for receipt of essays, have qualified by examination for the Degree of BA and have not exceeded seven years from matriculation or have qualified by examination for any other degree of the University and have not exceeded four years from matriculation or, not being graduates of the University, are pursuing a course of study leading to a postgraduate degree of the University and have not exceeded three years from their matriculation. An additional prize, of £350, may be awarded.

The subject for 2024 - 2025  has not yet been confirmed.

In 2022-23, the Chancellor's English Essay Prize was awarded to Chiu Jung (Hebe) Yu (Christ Church). The judges would like to thank all those who entered.

The subject for 2023-24 is "Green Thoughts."  The Chancellor's English Essay Prize, the value of which is £500, providing there is an entry of sufficient merit, is open to members of the University who on the closing date for receipt of essays have matriculated less than four years ago. Essays should not exceed 12,500 words in length and may be considerably shorter than this.  The prize will not be awarded twice to the same person.  

Entries should be submitted by email with the subject "Chancellor's English Essay Prize" to the English Faculty Office, not later than Monday of 8th Week, Hilary Term 2024. Authors should conceal their names and identify their entry documents with a motto. Please complete the contact details form and submit this alongside your entry.

In 2022-23 the Shelley-Mills Prize was jointly awarded to Henrietta Claydon (New College) and Jonathan Honnor (Regent’s Park College). The judges would like to thank all those who entered.

This prize, the purpose of which is to promote the study of the works of William Shakespeare, providing there is an entry of sufficient merit, is open to members of the University who on the closing date have matriculated within the last three years; and who have not been a member of any other university for more than a year.

The subject for 2023-24 is ‘Global Shakespeares’.  The value of the prize is £500, and the essays should consist of about 5,000 words.

Entries should be submitted by email with the subject "Shelley-Mills Prize" to the English Faculty Office, not later than Monday of 8th Week, Hilary Term 2024. Authors should conceal their names and identify their entry documents with a motto. Please complete the contact details form and submit this alongside your entry.

In addition, candidates must also submit a statement by the Head or Senior Tutor of their College that they have not been a member of any university other than Oxford for more than one year.

The winner for the Sir Roger Newdigate Prize in 2022-23 was Maggie Wang (Pembroke College),  for her entry 'pecking orders.' The judges would like to thank all those who entered.

The subject for 2023-24 is "Animals". Poets are encouraged to work in syllabics, which may be of any count or pattern.  The prize will be awarded, provided there is an entry of sufficient merit, for best composition in English verse not exceeding 300 lines in length.  

The prize is open to current matriculated undergraduate students of the University. The value of the prize is £500.

Entries should be submitted by email with the subject "Sir Roger Newdigate Prize" to the English Faculty Office, not later than Monday of 8th Week, Hilary Term 2023. Authors should conceal their names and identify their entry documents with a motto. Multiple entries should also be numbered. Please complete the contact details form and submit this alongside your entry.

In 2021-22, the Lord Alfred Douglas Memorial Prize was joint awarded to Michael O'Connor (Balliol) and Connor Johnston (St Anne's). Nicholas Smart (New College) was commended for his entry. The judges would like to thank all who entered and wish them luck in the future.

A prize of £500 will be awarded, providing there is an entry of sufficient merit, for the best sonnet or other poem written in English and in strict rhyming metre. Any member of the University, who is registered for a degree of the University, whether as an undergraduate or a graduate student, may enter for the prize. The prize shall not be awarded more than once to the same person. A copy of the winning entry shall be deposited in the Bodleian Library.

The prize is open to current undergraduate and graduate students. The maximum number of entries per person is three. 

Entries should be submitted by email with the subject "Lord Alfred Douglas Prize" to the English Faculty Office, not later than Monday of 1st Week, Trinity Term 2024. Authors should conceal their names and identify their entry documents with a motto. Multiple entries should also be numbered. Please complete the contact details form and submit this alongside your entry.

The winner of the  Sir John Rhŷs Prize 2023 was Elisa Cozzi (Queen’s College),  for her entry 'From Dánta Grá to Dante: Irish-Italian Genealogies, 1350–1850'. The judges would like to thank all those who entered.

Sir John Rhŷs Prize
This prize, the purpose of which is to promote the study of Celtic Languages, Literature, History, and Antiquities, is administered by the Trustees of the Rhŷs Fund. The prize value of £500 shall be awarded by the judges every year to the writer of the best relevant essay or dissertation , provided there is an entry of sufficient merit. Entrants may submit more than one piece. Candidates are free to choose their own subject. It is eligible to members of the University who have not previously won this prize and shall not on the day appointed for sending in the compositions to the Registrar of the University, have exceeded eight years from the time of their matriculation.

The judges have the power to recommend to the trustees that grants be made out of the Rhŷs Fund towards the expenses of printing the whole, or parts, of any essay and/or to enable the successful candidate, or candidates, to carry on the work which has been the subject of the essay. The judges have the power to recommend to the trustees that presents of books may be made to unsuccessful candidates whose essays have shown special excellence. More information about about "Sir John Rhŷs Prize" is available on this information sheethttps://english.web.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/english/documents/media...

The English Poem on a Sacred Subject Prize for 2021-2022 was jointly awarded to Audrey Southgate (Merton) and Maya Krishnan (All Souls College) for their entries on the subject of ‘In heaven it is always Autumn’ (John Donne) or ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.’ (Proverbs vi.6). The judges would like to thank all those who entered.

The English Poem on a Sacred Subject Prize runs every third year.  The next Prize will be open in 2025. The subject is yet to be announced.

The poem must consist of not less than sixty or more than 300 lines. It may be blank verse or in any form of verse rhymed in couplets or stanzas. There is a tradition which discourages dramatic form of composition for this prize.

Candidates for the prize (value of at least £1,250) shall be members of the University who, not later than the closing date for entries for the competition, shall have qualified by examination for a degree of the University; or shall hold the Degree of Master of Arts by incorporation or by decree or by resolution; or shall hold the status of Master of Arts; or shall have qualified by examination for a degree of any other university. The judges may, at their discretion, also make an award to the proxime accessit. Should no such award be made the value of the main award will be increased. The prize may not be awarded more than twice to the same person.

Entries should be submitted by email with the subject "English Poem on a Sacred Subject Prize" to the English Faculty Office, not later than Monday of 8th Week, Trinity Term 2025. Authors should conceal their names and identify their entry documents with a motto. Please complete the contact details form and submit this alongside your entry.

In addition, candidates must also submit details of the degree awarded (title, university and date, of which the Faculty will require proof, before award of the prize).

Examination Prizes

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There are two prizes, each valued at £200. One will be awarded, if there is a candidate of sufficient merit, by the Examiner in the Preliminary Examinations in Classics and English to the candidate whose performance in that examination they judge the best.

 

The other prize will be awarded by the Examiners for the Final Honour School of Classics and English, to the candidate whose performance in that examination they judge the best. No special application is required for either prize.

Two prizes will be offered, if there are candidates of a sufficient merit, each of a value of £250. The first shall be for the best performance in Course I Paper 1 of the Final Honour School in English and its associated Joint Schools (as judged by the board of examiners for the relevant School).

 

The second shall be for the best dissertation on a subject dealing with the works of Shakespeare submitted by a candidate for the MSt in English or for Transfer from PRS to DPhil status (as judged by the board of examiners for the MSt course).

The prize, value about £150, will be awarded, if there is a candidate of sufficient merit, by Examiner in the Preliminary Examinations in English Language and Literature in Trinity Term each year to the candidate whose performance in that examination, or in part 2 of the Preliminary Examination in English and Modern Languages in the same term, they judge to be the best. No special application is required.

A prize of £100 shall be awarded for the best dissertation or dissertations, awarded the highest marks by the examiners for the Final Honours School in English Language and Literature in that academic year. No person shall be eligible for a prize who, on the date fixed for the written examination, will have exceeded nine terms from matriculation.

 

The Gibbs prizes in English Language and Literature are awarded as follows.

Prizes of £750 each are awarded for the following:

  1. the best overall performance in Course I of the Honour School; and
  2. the best overall performance in Course II of the Honour School.

A prize of £500 is awarded for the best dissertation, Paper 7.

Seven prizes of £250 each, called ‘Book prizes’, for the next best overall performances.

Any individual Gibbs Prize can be split between two equally meritorious candidates.

The Swapna Dev Memorial Book Prize for the best doctoral thesis in English literature at the University of Oxford was established in 2018 according to the wishes of her husband, and supported by his generous gift. The prize honours the interest that Swapna Dev had in English literature.  The prize will be £150 of books, to be chosen by the winner.

Brief bio of Swapna Dev [1949-2001]

After receiving her B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from Delhi University, Swapna taught for many years on the B.A. Pass and Honours courses in English at the Jesus & Mary College, one of the leading colleges of Delhi University. After moving to the US, she became a visiting scholar in Folklore & Mythology at Harvard University from 1983 to 1985. At Harvard, Swapna worked on the metaphysical symbolism of Buddhist Stupas. Professor Hugh Flick was her tutor at Harvard.

A lot of Swapna's writings, articles ranging from her childhood  to diagnosis of her cancer, were discovered by her husband after her death. These were collected and published as a book titled, "Reminiscences of a Departed Soul," and is available from the publishing company, Blurb [US].

Graduate Studentships

Details on studentships available for graduate study may be found on the Funding & Scholarships page.