Age limit: 16-17 years old
Trinity College launched the Gould Prize for Essays in English Literature in 2013. This is a very prestigious annual competition for Year 12 or Lower 6th students. This Essay Prize has the following aims. First, to encourage talented students with an interest in English Literature to explore their reading interests further in response to general questions about the subject. Second, to encourage students with an interest in literature to apply for a University course in English. Finally, to recognise the achievements of high-calibre students from whatever background they may come, as well as the achievements of those who teach them.

Candidates are invited each year to submit an essay of between 1,500 and 2,500 words on a topic to be chosen from the list of questions. The list of questions for the 2020 competition are available in the additional links at the bottom of this page.
Prizes:
- First Prize: £600 - to be split equally with your school
- Second Prize: £400 - to be split equally with your school
- Further deserving essays of a high quality will be commended. Authors of prize-winning and highly-commended essays will be invited to visit the College.
The school or college's portion of each prize will be issued in the form of book tokens with which to buy English books.
There is no submission fee.