Magdalen College student Julian Kekulé won this year’s prestigious Chancellor’s English Essay Prize.
He received the award for his outstanding essay, titled ‘That Fluttering Stranger’.
The competitive prize asked students to respond to the evocative prompt of ‘Second Sense’. Julian explored this concept by analyzing how poetic metre operates as an additional sensory layer. His work expertly wove together the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schiller with the Romantic poetry of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
The panel of judges praised the piece as a very compelling read. They noted that the essay was written with confidence and gusto, blending a panoramic view with closely observed precision.
Julian said, “I feel delighted to have been awarded this prize in recognition of an essay that it was a joy to research and write.” He also thanked Magdalen’s own Professor Douglas-Fairhurst.
Congratulations, Julian.