Congratulations to our 2019 Literary Prize Winners!

Benjamin Franklin is one of history’s great figures. While he made lasting contributions in many fields, his first passion was writing. He believed in the power of the written word as the bedrock of a democratic society, to inform, and stimulate debate.

Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. The competition is exclusively for young writers, aged 18-25, with a first prize of £750, and a second prize of £500.

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize is endowed by Benjamin Franklin House Chairman John Studzinski, a leading executive and philanthropist.

The quote for the 2019 Literary Prize was: ‘Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults’ Poor Richard Improved, 1756. We accepted both fiction and non-fiction entries from aspiring young writers.

Our first-place winner was Alys Key, a business journalist and aspiring writer. Read Alys’ entry, here.

Robert Walmsley was our second-place winner. He is currently completing work to qualify as a solicitor. Robert has a strong interest in history and non-fiction writing. Read Robert’s entry, here.

Thank you to all who participated, the standard of submissions was extremely high! The quotation for this year’s competition is: ‘Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack’d, and never well mended’ Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1750. For more information on how to apply, follow the link here.