Opportunity for Year 12 students to research & write beyond the curriculum

Humanities Writing Competition

2025-26 Competition

Our annual competition is now LIVE!

This is an opportunity for students in Year 12 or equivalent to research and write beyond the curriculum, using one or more of five selected objects from the Lawrence Room museum objects, as their focus. Essays or creative responses (such as dramatic monologues, short stories or poems) are equally welcome. For further information, please read the Competition Rules below and the Information for Entrants.

The objects in the Lawrence Room that have been chosen as starting points for this year’s competition are: 

• a Leigong figurine from late nineteenth or early twentieth century China, a deity known as the "Thunder God";
• an eye idol, discovered by Agatha Christie's husband Max Mallowan in Tell Brak;
• an apis bull figure dating from BC 664-525, of Egypt;
• a wooden seated man, from the late Old Kingdom to the late Middle Kingdom periods of ancient Egypt;
• bronze casket fittings, in the shape of lion heads, discovered in the Roman and early medieval cemetery at Girton College.

Girton is grateful to Cambridge University Press and The C. Anne Wilson Fund for kind sponsorship of the competition.

Entries must attach a validated Cover Sheet to the essay/creative response and upload to the Submission Form by Friday 20 March 2026.

Competition Rules

Entries that do not follow the rules will not be considered.

1. Submissions must relate to one or more of the following Lawrence Room Objects.
2. LR 1110: Leigong figurine
3. LR 1060: Eye idol
4. LR 427: Apis Bull figurine
5. LR 450: Egyptian wooden funerary statue: seated man
6. LR 822A-C: Roman bronze casket fittings
7. Submissions must be the entrant’s own work. Artificial intelligence must not be used. Any material taken directly from published or online sources must be properly referenced.
8. The word limit is 1800 words, including footnotes, but excluding the list of references. Creative writing in particular may be shorter. A word count must be included. Overlength submissions will not be considered.
9. There is a limit of 3 entries per school. If we receive more than 3 entries from the same school, the decision will be taken to admit the first 3 entries and not consider any more. Monitoring will be taking place and schools who reach this limit or get close will be informed as a priority.
10. Submissions should be typed in English in a standard font, lines 1.5 spaced, and every page should be marked with the entrant’s name.
11. Submissions are made on a digital form found here: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bauor0inizgSaHk.
12. Submissions made by email or post will not be considered.
13. Submissions accompanied by incomplete cover sheets will not be considered. Please check your submission carefully before sending. Cover sheets that have not been authenticated by the school will not be considered.
14. Submissions received after the deadline (5pm, 20 March 2026) will not be considered.
15. Entrants must be resident in the UK at the time of the award ceremony, on Thursday 7 May 2026.
16. Entrants must be in Year 12 or equivalent (Y13 NI / S5 Scotland).
17. Every entrant will receive a certificate of participation.
18. Feedback on individual essays will not be provided except for prize winners.
19. The judges reserve the right not to award prizes if there is no entry of sufficient merit.

2024-25 Winners