The R.A. Butler Prize 2020 is now open.

The R.A. Butler Prize for essays in Politics and International Studies is a competition that can be entered by students in Year 12 or the Lower 6th. Candidates are invited to submit an essay on a topic to be chosen from a list of general questions announced in March each year, and to be submitted in August.

The Prize is jointly organised by Trinity College Cambridge and Cambridge University’s Department of Politics and International Studies.

The Prize was established in memory of the former Master of Trinity College, Lord Butler, who most famously served as Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer, and who was responsible for the introduction of free secondary education for all students in the UK.

The objectives of the R.A. Butler Prize are twofold. Firstly, it aims to encourage students with an interest in modern politics and world affairs to think about undertaking university studies in Politics, International Studies or a related discipline; it is not limited to those already studying these subjects or indeed other social sciences. Secondly, its intention is to recognise the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them.

The questions for the 2020 round are available here

Format. Essays should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words, including all footnotes and references but excluding the bibliography. It’s worth considering the use of examples in your essays: the best essays often use a diverse selection of contemporary, historical or literary examples. We encourage you to provide references to your sources of information, and to include a bibliography at the end of the essay. Please include your name on the document and save the file as “Surname, First name”.

Eligibility. The Prize is for students in Year 12 or Lower 6th at the time the questions are released in March.  Students based abroad are most welcome to participate. They should, however, be in their penultimate year of school.  Each entrant to the competition is allowed to submit only one essay.

Submission. Essays must be submitted by 12 noon (UK time), 3 August 2020. Please submit essays using the form available at:

https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/essay-prizes/politics/

Prize. The competition carries a First Prize of £600, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college (the school or college’s portion of the prize to be issued in the form of book tokens), and a Second Prize of £400, which again is to be shared equally between the candidate and his or her school or college. Winners will be announced in September, and will be invited to visit the College to meet some of the teaching staff.

Contact. Any queries from students who may be interested in submitting work for the prize, or their teachers, should be directed to Mr Nick Devlin by email to: butlerprize@trin.cam.ac.uk.

Special commendations: Ruby Breakwell, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, Birmingham; Zhuo Chen, Jinan Foreign Language School International Center, Jinan, China; Charlotte Fry, Tiffin School, Kingston upon Thames; Seung Eun Lee, Daewon Foreign Language High School, Seoul, South Korea; Emily Richards, King Henry VIII Comprehensive School, Abergavenny; Gwenno Robinson, Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, Swansea

2019 winners:
First Prize: Matthew Gursky, Hall Cross Academy, Doncaster
Second Prize: Evie Morgan, Ipswich School, Ipswich

2018 winners:
First Prize: Gergely Bérces, Milestone Institute, Budapest, Hungary
Second Prize: Tatyana Goodwin, Varndean College, Brighton & Eloise George, Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge

2017 winners:
First Prize: Folu Ogunyeye, Aylesbury High School
Second Prize: Eve McMullen, Minster School, Southwell

2016 winners: 
First Prize: Silas Edwards, St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, Bristol
Second Prize: Eliza Harry, Greene's Tutorial College, Oxford

2015 winners: 
First Prize: Stephen Horvath, Westminster School, London
Second Prize: Grace Elshafei, Sevenoaks School, Kent

2014 winners:
First Prize: Oscar Alexander-Jones, St Paul's School, London
Second Prize: Sam Maybee, King Edward VI Five Ways School, Birmingham

2013 winners:
First prize: Eleanor Shearer, Westminster School, London
Second prize (joint): Stephanie Clarke, Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, Lancaster
Second prize (joint): Will Barnes, Manchester Grammar School, Manchester

2012 winners:
First prize: Kiah Ashford-Stow, King Edward VI School, Southampton
Second prize: Jamie Sproul, Stamford School, Stamford, Lincolnshire

2011 winners:
First prize: Aman Rizvi, Winchester College, Winchester
Second prize: Frans Robyns, Kings College School, Wimbledon