Pioneering researchers in childhood learning development and a groundbreaking study of early modern English literature awarded at British Academy prize ceremony

Leading researchers and scholars of childhood learning development and early modern English literature were among those celebrated at an event held at the British Academy on Friday 11 October, in a ceremony which awarded a number of prizes and medals across the humanities and social sciences.

This year, the Leverhulme Medal and Prize – awarded only once every three years – was given jointly to Professors Charles Hulme (Oxford Brookes University) and Margaret Snowling (University of Oxford) for their complementary contributions to understanding childhood learning development, particularly dyslexia and developmental language disorders.

The event also marked the 10th anniversary of the Brian Barry Prize, awarded annually for excellence in political science. This year, the prize was awarded to Professor Faik Kurtulmuş for his essay "Learning from the Enemies of Freedom: Freedom of Expression and Collective Power".

Dr Katrin Ettenhuber, recipient of the 2024 Rose Mary Crawshay Prize, said: “It is a great and unexpected honour to receive this prize. In these challenging times for the university sector, and for the humanities in particular, the British Academy’s continuing support for excellent work in the SHAPE (social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy) disciplines is more crucial than ever.

“Rose Mary Crawshay understood the importance of literacy and literature as engines of social change, and she tirelessly championed those who had historically been excluded from education. By awarding a prize in her honour, the British Academy demonstrates its ongoing commitment to these issues.”

Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said: “Our Prizes and Medals are central to our efforts to recognise excellence in our disciplines – excellence that often transcends academia. This year's outstanding recipients showcase the power of cross-disciplinary research — drawing from SHAPE and STEM to produce profoundly rich insights. Their achievements underscore the indispensable role our disciplines play in advancing scholarship and enriching society.”

The full list of Prizes and Medals is as follows:

• The Brian Barry Prize is awarded to Professor Faik Kurtulmuş (Sabancı University)
• The Burkitt Medal for New Testament Studies is awarded to Professor George J. Brooke (Manchester University)
• The Derek Allen Prize is awarded to Professor Erich Poppe (University of Marburg)
• The Edward Ullendorff Medal is awarded to Professor Alessandra Avanzini (University of Pisa)
• The Grahame Clark Medal is awarded to Professor Nick Ashton (British Museum)
• The Kenyon Medal is awarded to Dr Christopher Stray (formerly University of Swansea)
• The Landscape Archaeology Medal is awarded to Professor Sarah Semple (Durham University)
• The Leverhulme Medal and Prize is jointly awarded to Professor Charles Hulme (Oxford Brookes) and Professor Margaret Snowling (University of Oxford)
• The Neil and Saras Smith Medal is awarded to Professor Paula Fikkert (Radboud University)
• The Rose Mary Crawshay Prize is awarded to Dr Katrin Ettenhuber (Cambridge University)
• The Serena Medal is awarded to Professor James Hankins (Harvard University)
• The Sir Israel Gollancz Prize is awarded to Professor Aaron Kleist (Biola University)

In addition to these awards, the British Academy announced last month that the 2024 President’s Medal has been awarded to acclaimed novelist Elif Shafak. She is recognised for her innovative approach to storytelling, bravely tackling sensitive topics such as conflict, gender equality, human rights, ecology and the environmental crisis, with scholarly rigour and intellectual force.

Image: Emily Pike