Intermediate year essay: Leola Bruce (History of Art) for an essay entitled: 'Comparing artistic production in Siena and Padua, do you agree with Millard that the Black Death of 1348 changed painting?' The adjudicators in this category said,

"We enjoyed reading all of these excellent essays, which demonstrate a variety of scholarly and critical skills, as well as the diversity of the research currently being undertaken in Renaissance studies. We decided to award the prize to the essay entitled ‘Comparing artistic production in Siena and Padua, do you agree with Millard that the Black Death changed painting?’ So many things about this essay are impressive: its command of a network of complex arguments; its own line of argumentation; most of all, its ability to move fluently and with interdisciplinary flair between social history and close reading of artworks. Rather than simply inflect it, the essay takes an established argument head-on, impressively suggesting the ignored influence of the ‘second pestilence’, and positing ingenious links between social change and the circulation of particular tools. This was a difficult choice to make, but enjoyably so, because all of the essays were of such a high standard."

Final year essay: Lisa Taberner (English and History) for an essay entitled: 'The role and representation of the forest wilderness in Arthurian Literature'. The adjudicators in this category said,

" This excellent essay draws insightful connections not only between medieval Arthurian literature and the nineteenth century American novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, but also between literature and broader social and political movements such as conservationism and the ‘strenuous life’. It draws confidently and persuasively upon a wide range of secondary literature across multiple disciplines to support its central argument that sylvan spaces in A Connecticut Yankee destabilise rather than confirm traditional notions of masculine chivalry. The essay is clearly signposted without, guiding the reader through the nuances of its argument from its clear and assured opening to its closing. The conclusion is particularly noteworthy for its gesture towards potential avenues for future research. Overall, the essay confidently and compellingly yokes chivalric culture to questions of environmentalism and gender politics, offering a fresh perspective on two significant texts in Western literature."

Final year dissertation: Tala Ahmadi (History) for a dissertation entitled: 'To what extent did Isabella d'Este's (1474-1539) authority and influence shift as she transitioned from the role of a wife to that of a widow?' The adjudicators in this category said,

"We appreciated this in-depth analysis of an issue not covered in detail in the rich bibliography on Isabella D’Este, making a significant contribution to scholarship. The choice of building the argument by focusing on Isabella’s letters, which are extensively used as primary sources in conversation with an impressive breath of secondary reading, was well made, making for an informative and persuasive dissertation. Consideration was given to many aspects of d’Este’s intellectual and political endeavours and these were tied together in a coherent and logical manner, drawing out the significant changes in d’Este’s sphere on influence as she transitioned from wife to widow and regent. The section concerning the rise and decline of d’Este’s musical ambitions was a particular highlight. The work is thoroughly researched and sophisticated in its handling of the source material."