The Girton College Humanities Writing Competition is a free annual competition for UK students in Year 12 or equivalent organized by Girton College, University of Cambridge. It provides an opportunity for students to research and write beyond the curriculum, using one or more of the Lawrence Room museum objects, as their focus. Essays or creative responses (such as dramatic monologues, short stories or poems) are equally welcome.
Prizes include up to £200 cash and books to the value of £200 from Cambridge University Press, the latter to be shared between the winning entrant/s and their school/s.
Location(s)
- Remote
Schedule
- Winter/Spring
Cost/Compensation
- Free entry
Eligibility Requirements
- Open to UK students in Year 12 (or equivalent - S5/ Y13 - N.I) who have an interest in the Humanities
Deadline
- March 20, 2026
Application or Entry Requirements
- Submissions must relate to one or more of the Lawrence Room Objects selected for the current contest year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Submissions are made on a digital form found here: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bauor0inizgSaHk.
- Submissions made by email or post will not be considered.
- 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.
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The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, it is the world's third-oldest university in continuous operation. The university operates eight cultural and scientific museums, including the Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, while its libraries hold a total of more than 16 million books. Cambridge's alumni roster boasts a wide array of Nobel laureates, world leaders, and pioneers in numerous fields, including influential figures such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, John Maynard Keynes, and Stephen Hawking, among many others.
