Open for entries: Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize

Posted by rsl11 at Apr 03, 2019 10:41 AM | Permalink

The competition is open to any sixth form student of English literature.

Competition Details

Shakespeare study at both post-16 and degree level often involves paying close attention to screen productions and this year’s Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize encourages just such a performance approach.

2019 Essay Requirements

The competition for 2019 has two options:

Option 1

Write a close comparative analysis of between 1200 and 1500 words, focusing on one scene from a Shakespeare tragedy and the equivalent scene in of these named film or television versions:

Hamlet (dir. Michael Almereyda, 2000)

Othello (dir. Oliver Parker, 1995)

King Lear (dir. David Eyre, 2018)

Before submitting your piece, please ensure that:

It is in the form of a Word Document, headed with your name and school
It is sent as hard copy, accompanied by a coversheet (68kb) signed by your teacher
It focuses on one sequence only from one of the films named above
It specifies timings for the chosen sequence
It is written entirely in your own words
It references any quotations from secondary sources (e.g. critics / reviewers)
It provides act and scene references for quotations from the Shakespeare text
It is no more than 1500 words (please write the word count at the foot of your work)

Option 2

Write a review of between 1000 and 1200 words, crafted with a sixth-form reader in mind, exploring in what ways a Shakespeare film adaptation of your choice throws interpretive light on the source play. The chosen film must have a screenplay which was originally written in English.

Before submitting your piece, please ensure that:

It is in the form of a Word Document, headed with your name and school
It is sent as hard copy, accompanied by a coversheet (68kb) signed by your teacher
It focuses on one film adaptation of your choice
It gives details of the title of your chosen film, as well as its director and release date
It is written entirely in your own words
It references any quotations from secondary sources (e.g. critics / reviewers)
It provides act and scene references for quotations from the Shakespeare text
It is no more than 1200 words (please write the word count at the foot of your work)

What the judges are looking for:

Original, creative thinking
A clear, straightforward writing style
A clear structure, which enables the reader to follow the main ideas easily.

Entries should be sent to:

Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize Competition,
The English Association,
University of Leicester,
Leicester,
LE1 7RH.

Closing date for entries: 1st September 2019.