From fiction to futures-thinking, the 2025 Lucy Cavendish Writing Prizes celebrates student work that challenges, inspires, and imagines new possibilities.
We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Lucy Cavendish College Student Writing Prizes, recognising exceptional work across fiction, speculative futures, creative writing and academic research.
These prizes reflect the College’s strong literary tradition and its commitment to developing both the creative and critical voices of its students. This year’s submissions once again impressed the judging panels with their originality, imagination, and insight.
The Writing Centre supports students in honing excellence in creative and nonfiction writing, offering resources, workshops, and mentorship — with the prizes forming a key part of this mission. Each winner receives a £100 award and recognition at the College’s annual Fiction Prize ceremony.
Florence Staniforth Student Fiction Prize
Winner: Abigail Moss – Contortions
Open to students in all subjects, this prize invites short stories that explore character, voice, and narrative craft. It is funded by the Florence Staniforth Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and judged by Dr Isobel Maddison (Emeritus Fellow), Nicola Garrard (author), and Lizzie Speller (Creative Writing tutor and writer).
Stott Alternative Futures Prize
Winner: Jade Scarham – The Echo Law
In a time of overlapping global crises, the Stott Prize invites students to imagine different futures — speculative, visionary, or dystopian. Entries were judged on literary merit and imaginative reach by a panel of Fellows and writers.
From climate collapse to social reinvention, this prize embraces speculative fiction in all its forms — as a tool for critique, vision, and hope.
Congratulations to Abigail and Jade — and to every student who entered this year. Your voices, creativity, and ideas made this a truly standout year for writing at Lucy Cavendish. Well done!