The T.R.Henn Prize – Part IB
The Quiller-Couch Prize – Part II
Candidates for these prizes must submit an Original Composition in English of not more than 5000 words (inclusive of notes). Original Compositions must be creative in nature, offering either poetry, fiction, drama, screen play, literary translation or any combination thereof. There is no minimum word limit. The submission of non-written material is not allowed. Compositions must be typewritten and must be submitted to the corresponding Exam Board Secretaries (Sam Dean for Part IB, Vicky Aldred for Part II) by Friday 20th February. Candidates are strongly advised to keep a copy of their composition and should note that the original will not be returned.
Candidates will be required to declare that the original composition is their own work and that it does not contain material used to any substantial extent for a comparable academic purpose. Please note that the submission of an original composition in candidature for a University Prize or Scholarship, or publication in the Mays Anthology, is considered to constitute a ‘comparable purpose’. The value of both of these prizes is announced each year. In 2026 it was £500.

The Chancellor's Medal for 2026 will be given for an original poem not exceeding two hundred lines on any subject. A resident undergraduate may be a candidate if on 1 February 2023 not more than seven complete terms will have passed after his or her first term of residence. Candidates must send three copies of their exercise to the Senior Secretary (Sam Dean) not later than 1 February 2026. The exercise must bear a motto (a short phrase) but not the candidate’s name, and should be printed or typewritten; it should be accompanied by a sealed envelope bearing the same motto outside and giving the candidate’s name and college affiliation.

The Salt Marlowe Poetry Prize 

This prize, formerly The John Kinsella and Tracy Ryan Poetry Prize, is open to those in statu pupillari in the University of Cambridge. The Prize will be awarded for an original verse composition in any form, of not more than 500 lines in length. The winning poem will be published on each occasion in the journal The Churchill Review. A shared Prize may be awarded in the event of two equally appropriate candidates. The Prize will not be awarded if no entries are of adequate quality; it will not be awarded twice to the same person. The judges may, if they wish, make honourable mention of another entry or entries, with possible publication in The Churchill Review. The prize will be administered jointly by the Faculty of English and Churchill College. There will be three judges, one from the College, one from the Faculty, and one external judge who will normally be a practising poet. Candidates must send four copies of their entry which should be in typescript and in loose-leaf form, and must not bear the author’s name. They should be sent, with a covering note of the author’s name, College and home address to the Senior Tutor, Churchill College, Cambridge. CB3 0DS. They should arrive by the end of the Lent Full Term 2026. The award of the Prize will be announced by the end of the Easter Term 2026. The value of this prize in 2026 was £500.

The Methuen Marlowe ‘Other’ Prize 

This prize is open to those in statu pupillari in the University of Cambridge. It will be awarded for an original, unperformed play of any length. Candidates may enter more than one play. A shared Prize may be awarded in the event of two equally appropriate candidates; the Prize will not be awarded if no entries are of adequate quality. The Prize may not be awarded twice to the same person. Adjudication will be in two stages. A short list will be selected by a panel consisting of one appointed by Churchill College, one by Homerton College Theatre Department, one by the Marlowe Society. Final adjudication will be by the Literary Manager of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The Literary Manager of the RSC will run a one-day workshop on the winning entry with RSC actors. This will be with a view to production by the Marlowe Society during the following Michaelmas Term. Candidates must send four copies of their entry which should be in typescript and in loose-leaf form, and must not bear the author's name. They should be sent, with a covering note of the author's name, College and home address to the Senior Tutor, Churchill College, Cambridge CB3 0DS. They should arrive by the end of the Lent Full Term 2026. The winner will be announced by the end of the Easter Term 2026. The value of this prize in 2026 was £500.

Emmanuel College: The Brewer Hall Poetry Prize

Mr A. R. Hall, a member of Emmanuel College, endowed an annual prize for an original poem or poems in English, in honour of his former Tutor, Professor Derek Brewer. The Prize is open to undergraduate members of the University and to graduate students of not more than three years' standing. To enter you should submit an original poem or collection of original poems in English totalling not more than 200 lines in length. A shared Prize may be awarded in the event of two equally appropriate candidates, and the Prize will not be awarded twice to the same person. Entries should be typed. Your name should not be on the poems. Instead, each submission should be identified by a motto or phrase (written across the top of the first page, say, or indicated on a title page, or existing as a running footer on each page). You should then write your name and contact details (College, email address, and telephone number) on a piece of paper, and seal that in an envelope, on the front of which envelope you should write the motto/phrase. Please submit your entry to: Brewer Hall Poetry Prize Panel, Emmanuel College, Cambridge, CB2 3AP. The deadline for entries is Friday 19 June 2026. Please email poetry@emma.cam.ac.uk if you have further questions.