St Hilda's College
Hugo McWatters-Reed (2023, Philosophy and Modern Languages) has been Shortlisted for this year’s Oxford-BNU Creative Writing Award for his story Sanguenay.
The Oxford–BNU Creative Writing Award, organised by the Oxford Prospects and Global Development Institute (OPGDI) and supported by The Oxford Research Centre in Humanities (TORCH), highlights exceptional emerging literary talent from across the University.
Founded in 2019 by Nobel Laureate Professor Mo Yan, the Award celebrates original short fiction and Oxford’s contribution to international and cross-cultural literary exchange.
"Being nominated for this award has come as an unexpected surprise, one which I am extremely grateful to receive," said Hugo.
"To be recognised in this way encourages me to go further with my creative writing, and not to be afraid of submission. I would like to extend my thanks to my college friends, Ivett and Nithu, for poring over my drafts in the wee hours of the morning, and to the librarians of the College Library who have made it such a comfortable space to work this year. If only my school English teachers — Mr Complin and Mrs Lombard — could see me now!"
About the shortlist OPGDI said "the 2026 shortlist reflects a remarkable breadth of styles and imagination, showcasing the strength and reach of interdisciplinary Humanities at Oxford today ... this year’s competition attracted an outstanding range of submissions, notable for impressive creativity, originality, technical skills and a diverse range of narrative styles."
Congratulations and good luck to Hugo!
If you would like to come along and support Hugo you can sign up to the Award Ceremony, which will take place at the Schwarzman Centre for Humanities on 14th May at 12.30pm via Eventbrite.