Congratulations to Sophie Rosen who has won this year’s E M Cumming Essay Prize for her essay titled, 'And Abel'.  With thanks to a generous donor, the E M Cumming Essay Prize is an annual $1000 prize open to all Burgmann residents, where an essay is read before a meeting specially convened for this purpose, known as the reading meeting. Essays consist of a written text of not more than 1000 words, with topics each year derived from books of the Bible, as named and listed in the Authorised Version of 1611. This year, the topic was Samuel 1 and Samuel 2.

Asked about the inspiration and themes for her essay, Sophie explained:

'For the piece, I drew from my experiences spending time with family and suddenly being gripped by the quietly terrifying realisation that nothing lasts forever. I have felt this way since I was very small, but only thought to write about it after feeling directly attacked by the poem ‘We Have Not Long to Love’ by Tennessee Williams, and realising that I was not alone in this feeling, for there was a man in Mississippi in 1956 who also understood it. After that revelation, these themes were originally the subject of a screenplay I was writing; however, I adapted them for the competition.'

Dr Lucy Neave, author and ANU senior lecturer, and adjudicator of this year’s E M Cumming Prize, said this about this years entries: 

'The other pieces were all excellent. The entries included a poem with a Biblical theme; a reflection on leadership, and who makes an effective leader; a piece about immorality and conquest—which was eloquently and compellingly written; and, a story about the loss of a child, which was also moving and effective. The entries comprise an incredibly diverse and engaging selection of pieces which showcase the skills of Burgmann’s writers.'

Congratulations to all residents who submitted essays for the 2022 E M Cumming Prize:

Eli Narev
Erin Blond
Will Adams
Will Salkeld

Read Sophie's prize-winning essay here