Undergraduate Essay Prize

One prize of $200 is awarded in April of each year for the best essay submitted for credit within the current academic year by an undergraduate student registered in an English, Writing, Film, Theatre or Medieval Studies course at the 2100 level and above within the Department of English and Writing Studies at Western University.

Warmest congratulations to Samantha Batte (Faculty of Social Science), recipient of the 2025 Undergraduate Essay Prize for their essay, "New-Era Heirs: Inheritance and Moral Responsibility in Great Expectations and North and South," written for Professor Jo Devereux's course, English 3352G - Am I to Be the Hero of My Own Life? Nineteenth-Century Fictions of the Individual and the World.

Samantha's essay presents an original and nuanced argument about the ways in which two major 19th-century novels grapple with shifting inheritance laws and the moral significance of wealth. Batte's insightful readings of the novels and judicious use of secondary sources make for a compelling analysis. The essay is beautifully written.

Thank you to Professor Anne Schuurman who adjudicated the award this year.

  1. Entries for Fall term half courses, Winter term half courses, and Full year courses must be submitted by the instructor by Friday, April 18, 2025.
  2. Entries will be adjudicated based on the quality of their research and academic writing.
  3. Eligible essays should receive a mark of at least 85%.
  4. One entry per student.
  5. Entries must be work submitted to a course offered through the Department of English and Writing Studies in a course numbered 2100-4990 (including English, Writing, Film, Theatre and Medieval Studies).
  6. The submission must be the graded paper, with instructor comments (photocopy is fine).
  7. Submissions cannot be hitherto published or won an award in any other competition.
  8. Previous winners are not eligible.
  9. Entries must be submitted to the Department of English and Writing Studies, Undergraduate Studies Office, University College, 2401B, or by email in PDF format to uenglish@uwo.ca.
  10. The winner will be notified by email by the end of May 2025.
  11. The results will be posted on the Department of English and Writing Studies website and social media channels.

Inquiries

uenglish@uwo.ca

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS

Year Name Adjudicators
2024 Faith Caswell Professor Anne Schuurman
2023 Elliott Cooper Professor Anne Schuurman
2022 Andrew Fullerton Professor Matthew Rowlinson
2021 Emily Moyer Professors Madeline Bassnett and Manina Jones
2020 Lily Wilde Professor Madeline Bassnett
2019 Jiali (Betty) Wang Professors Mary Helen McMurran and Anne Schuurman
2018 Gillian Nangreave Professor Richard Moll