Congratulations to the Cheney Prize Winners

The Cheney Prize is awarded each year for written work of exceptional merit. Submissions may be in the form of an essay or in another form appropriate to the subject. This year, the prize was jointly awarded to Isaac Gavaghan (History, 2024) and Haniya Semnani (Modern Languages, 2024).

On Haniya's essay, “Explore the Iranian national identity within the scope of Martyrdom: is the sense of Martyrdom a government state-induced tool?”, the members of the Judging Committee said:

This essay on Iranian national identity and the construction of martyrdom is highly readable, opening with a strong hook. While informal in places, this stylistic choice makes the text more personal and engaging, effectively guiding the reader through a balanced analysis. The essay raises sensitive questions about the complex intersections of politics, religion, and identity, offering a sophisticated discussion supported by analytical tools drawn from both cultural and historical research'

Haniya explains how she chose her subject:

"After reading the Iranian-American ficiton novel “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar, I was inspired to explore the theme of martyrdom within the Iranian perspective. I wanted to be able to provide a fairer lens on how martyrdom has been almost enforced into Iranian national identity, as opposed to it being simply “cultural”. Especially given that the Iranian landscape of politics, such as the current theoracy, which forcefully rules in Iran today, is incredibly misunderstood in Western terms. This meant that I focused on making the essay as understandable as possible to a non-Iranian reader.

Thus, I wanted this piece to serve as an understanding of how Martyrdom can be a tool of control used by governments, rather than merely an individualistic pursuit. I hoped for it to instigate questions in the reader as well as a chance for us to imagine a different future, where life and the regeneration of the future are celebrated more than preventable death in this region."

Members of the Judging Committee described Isaac's essay, “When, how, and why did the usury prohibition in 16th century England end?”, as follows:

The essay on the history of usury prohibition demonstrates originality in tackling a complex historical issue. The prose is both lucid and compelling, making the argument accessible to readers across disciplines. The essay’s great achievement lies in how the author renders a difficult historical problem straightforward without resorting to oversimplification, revealing a confident command of the material while establishing a distinctive authoritative voice. The result is an engaging, well-structured essay that conveys nuanced insights with clarity and assurance.

Isaac explains how he chose his subject:

"What I attempt to explicate through my study of history is what happens when structures of power dissolve and legitimacy ends. The end of the usury prohibition in 16th century England is an intriguing case study. The power that dissolves in the case of the end of the usury prohibition is that of the scholastic mode of thought that had, for the previous thousand years, placed (open and explicit) usury within the normative moral category of ‘sin’. The end of the legitimacy of scholastic reasoning in the medieval European world is something that to the modern mind is difficult to grasp; we explain law, economics, and the manner in which religion should affect the power of the state through the use of such utterly different concepts to our medieval forebears. What makes the usury case study all the more fascinating for the present moment is that it is here that the outlines of the present legitimate form of reasoning – ‘rational’ economic reasoning – emerged as the dominant replacement of scholastic thought. The 16th crisis of legitimacy of scholastic thought and of the Catholic church, is mirrored in our own time in the crisis of legitimacy of ‘rational’ economic thought and of the capitalist system (perhaps church is appropriate here too…). I am not quite sure what the parallel reveals, but if you read my essay and think you might have some idea, do send me an email!"

Many congratulations to Isaac and Haniya, who receive an award of £100.00 each.