Every year, students in Year 12 are offered the opportunity to compete in the May Campbell Anderson Competition by completing an additional English exam.

This is one of our department’s most prestigious awards and this year’s winner is Jennifer Morrison with joint runners-up, Kate Koller and Hawwa Niyaz.

The competition challenges students to read a diverse range of critically acclaimed works and answer, in essay form, questions linked to the texts. This year’s selection included William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which we were lucky enough to see at the Isaac Theatre Royal. Other texts included Becky Manawatu’s award-winning novel, Auē, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s persuasive essay, We Should All Be Feminists, the poetry of Carol Anne Duffy and the short story collection Huia 13 which included stories in both English and Te R Māori. 

The standard of all the entries was exceptionally high and each candidate brought their own style and perspective to the range of topics. Jennifer’s essays were thoughtful and mature, containing a clear sense of argument and an astute understanding of each text, its author, and their overall purpose.

Congratulations to all those who took part for your understanding of the material and commitment during a busy and, at times, challenging year.