The School of Interdisciplinary Studies (Dumfries) has just announced the winners of this year’s annual Writing Prizes.
 
Students have been awarded nearly £1000 across a spectrum of awards named in memory of scholars and poets close to the University of Glasgow and the local community in Dumfries.  In total, seven awards have been made. Those who won first prize received their award in person from the Principal at the Graduation ceremony in Dumfries on 6 July.

DumfriesPrizewinners 

The Muriel Carmichael Prize
Muriel Stirling Carmichael (1908-1989) of Moffat was a graduate of the University of Glasgow. Her friends and former students set up a memorial fund to mark her great contribution to education in the UK. 

The first prize in this award was given to Claire Logan, a level three student on the Primary Education with Teaching Qualification degree course, whose prose displayed the energy and commitment that judges were looking for.  Second prize went to Steven Miles, while third prize was awarded to Oona Piipponen. 

The Steven Runciman Prize
Sir Steven Runciman (1903 - 2000) was a scholar, linguist and traveller. The author of many books concerning Byzantine history and culture, he is best known for his three volume History of the Crusades.  The Steven Runciman Prize is endowed by his family. 

For a second year running, first prize was awarded to Rory Fairweather, a level four student of Philosophy.  The prize was all the more wonderful for Rory as he received it on the day of his graduation.  Rory is set to continue his studies, beginning a PhD in the school in the autumn.  While this prize has only one winner, judges were compelled to commend an essay by Oona Piipponen, a level one Primary Education student, whose excellent essay was not out of place among submissions by senior students and postgraduates.

The Kirkpatrick Dobie Prize
Kirkpatrick Dobie (1908-1999) came from a family settled for centuries in the Dumfries area and lived almost all his life in the town.  A distinguished poet, he was a founder member of Dumfries Writers’ Workshop in 1967 and an enthusiastic member of other Glasgow University extra-mural classes.  His friends and family have endowed the Kirkpatrick Dobie Poetry Prize in recognition of these links. 

The first prize in the Kirkpatrick Dobie Poetry Competition was awarded to Em Strang, who is currently completing her MPhil in ecopoetry at the School of Interdisciplinary Studies.  Em is continuing to PhD in the autumn, and this is the second year that her excellent poems—which deal with human interactions with nature—have been awarded first prize in the competition.  Second prize went to Oona Piipponen and third prize to PhD student Fiona Russell.

Dr David Borthwick, who chaired the judging panel, said: ‘Judges were delighted by the number and quality of submissions, and enjoyed immensely the very hard job of choosing winning entries.  The prizes each year serve to celebrate the creativity and talent of students in the School.  This has been a year of exceptionally worthy prizewinners.’

First published: 21 June 2011

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