School of Critical Studies

Jessica Yorke Scholarship English Literature/Creative Writing

About the scholarship

We are delighted to announce the Jessica Yorke Scholarship, to be awarded annually to undergraduate or taught postgraduate students of English Literature or Creative Writing demonstrating talent in, and commitment to, the field of writing for the purpose of engaging diverse audiences.  We will seek to award one or more scholarships amounting to a total of £2000, part of which may be spent on a project, field trip or course that will develop the student’s skills as a writer. Recipients will be selected on the strength of their writing ability and plans to use the scholarship funds to further their skills and experience. 

 Background 

This scholarship has been established in memory of Jessica Yorke who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1999 with an MA Hons in English Language and Literature. Sadly Jessica died in 2014 after a battle with lung cancer so Jessica’s family have chosen to set up the Jessica Yorke Scholarship to celebrate her memory and to encourage those who share Jessica’s passion for writing. Jessica’s interest in the field of writing and audience engagement was illustrated during her time in Glasgow through her contributions to the student publications, Glasgow Guardian and Glasgow University Magazine, and to the student newspaper at UCLA where she spent a Study Abroad year. After graduation Jessica continued her interest in this area in many ways including a course in journalism, various roles in publishing and a year spent teaching English in Kenya.

 Terms

• The Jessica Yorke Scholarship will be awarded each year to undergraduate or postgraduate students of English Literature or Creative Writing demonstrating talent in, and commitment to, the field of writing for the purpose of engaging diverse audiences.
• The aim of the Scholarship is to support students in furtherance of their skills and ambitions in the field of writing. It will be funded by an annual donation of £2,000 for a period of three years in the first instance (from 2015-16), and will consist of a payment at the value decided by the Head of Subject. It is anticipated that two recipients will receive a scholarship in the region of £1,000 each year. In the event of no suitable scholar being identified in any year, no award will be made, and the funds set aside for that year will be awarded in a subsequent year.

Application Process and Selection Criteria

• Students wishing to be considered for the awards will be required to complete an application form supported by a portfolio of published writing. The article or portfolio should have been published within the past year and might take the form of a review, travel piece, interview, investigative report, column or other work of journalism. Publications from blogs with an editor/editorial board will be considered. The maximum word count is 2000 words.
• We will seek to award up to two scholarships amounting to a total of £2000, part of which may be spent on a project, field trip or course that will develop the student’s skills as a writer. Such courses might include those run by the Arvon Foundation, Moniack Mhor, Guardian Masterclasses and so on. Part-payment towards a relevant academic Master’s programme may also be appropriate.
• Recipients will be selected on the strength of their writing ability and their intentions to use the scholarship funds to further their skills and experience in writing.
• Selection of the scholarship recipients will be undertaken by a panel of academic staff led by the Head of English Literature.
• The holders of the Jessica Yorke Scholarships will be required to submit a piece of writing, resulting from use of the scholarship funds, to the Head of Subject. This will be forwarded to Michael and Patricia Yorke and may be used where appropriate by the academic department, including publication on University webpages.

How to apply

Students wishing to be considered for the awards will be required to submit a sample or portfolio of published writing, along with a completed application form (Jessica Yorke Application Form 2023). The submission(s) may take the form of a single article or a portfolio of shorter pieces. The article or portfolio should have been published within the past year and might take the form of a review, travel piece, interview, investigative report, column or other work of journalism. Publications from blogs with an editor/editorial board will be considered. The maximum word count is 2000 words. 

Deadline

The complete application form Jessica Yorke Application Form 2023 and submission(s) should be sent via email to: critstudies-englit-admin@glasgow.ac.uk by 5pm on Friday 10th May 2023. The subject line of the email should read 'The Jessica Yorke Scholarship'.

Further information

For any queries, please contact the Head of English Literature, Professor Adrian Streete: Adrian.streete@glasgow.ac.uk