Bernard Levin Award for Student Journalism
2012 Award
Once again The Bernard Levin Award 2012 was the most successful award to date with 49 entrants. After careful deliberation the Judges decided on a Winning entry who will recieve a certificate, £500, a 2 week internship with the BBC, and a night out for 2 for dinner and the theatre - in the style of Bernard! There were also 3 Highly Commended awards who will each receive a certificate and a day tour of the BBC's Manchester studios. The quality of all the entries was extremely high and came from a diverse range of students.
You can download the 2012 Presentation Booklet here.
Huge congratulations go to:
WINNER: Tom Heyden - Befriending a Future Dictator
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Wanda O’Brien - On loving and living the questions
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sally Davies - A journey
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Edward Larkin - On the Complete Incongruity Between My Conception of the London Experience and the Actual London Experience
Judges and winning entrants (left to right): Sir John Burgh (J), Sally Davies (HC), Tom Heyden (W), David Kingsley OBE (J), Edward Larkin (HC), Wanda O'Brien (HC) and Giles Wilson (J)
You can read the winning entries and all of the 49 entrants here.
The Bernard Levin Award celebrates a distinguished graduate of the London School of Economics, Bernard Levin, one of the greatest and most admired journalists the School has produced. The first award was made in 2007.
The Award has been developed by Sir John Burgh, David Kingsley O.B.E., Elizabeth Meyer and Elizabeth Anderson, working with other interested friends of Bernard, LSE Alumni and the LSE Students’ Union.
Bernard Levin CBE BSc (Econ), a student and graduate of the LSE (1948 1952) and an Honorary Fellow of the School, was a brilliant debater in the Students’ Union, a talented performer in the annual Student Review, and a contributor to the Clare Market Review magazine and the Beaver newspaper while he studied at LSE.
It was Bernard’s intellectual and stinging commentaries on politics and political figures of all persuasions that brought him national and international fame. His writing was founded on an instinctive championing of human rights, for the underdog and the vulnerable, as well as a distrust of anyone abusing power.
Bernard’s wider popularity – some might say notoriety – grew as television became established as a prime popular medium. He participated in many programmes including the satirical “That Was The Week That Was” chaired by David Frost.
Bernard died on 7th August 2004, having suffered from Alzheimer’s through the last years of his life. In November 2005 Bernard was selected by his fellow journalists as one of Britain’s most influential journalists of the past four decades.
You can read some of his obituaries and comment pieces below:
Write an article or column of up to 1000 words which celebrates the benefits to an LSE student of the intellectual, cultural, political, professional, business, media, or entertainment life surrounding the School’s campus in the heart of London. You may compose this in any style you see fit, but should bear in mind the merits of Bernard Levin’s own writing. The brief is intentionally loose to allow you to be creative in your writing. The submission deadline is the 16th of March, so make sure to get your pieces in by then.
The panel of judges will consist of Bernard’s friends, journalists and media experts, a representative from the BBC as well heads of The Beaver, Clare Market Review and the Literature Society. You can find details of all of the judges in the Presentation Booklet (see above).
2011
Winner Alizeh Ovais Kohari - The Wrangling of Minds
Highly Commended Charmian Walker-Smith - In Bed With The Enemy
Highly Commended Andréana Lefton - A Home for the Wander Wounded
Highly Commended Rimmel Mohydin - I'm With Stupid
2010
Winner Dea Markova
Highly Commended Alice Pelton
For more information please contact Stanley Ellerby-English, Activities and Development Officer su.activitiesdevelopment@lse.ac.uk