Daniel Mervis Prize

This new prize is organised by St John’s College on behalf of the collegiate University in memory of Daniel Mervis, a former Oxford student who died of an accidental drug overdose.

There are two prizes that support: i) the awareness of the impact of drug misuse; ii) the celebration of students who have overcome adversity in any aspect of their life (whether or not connected to addiction).

The true horrors of addiction and drug misuse are not widely understood or recounted by those who have suffered or lost loved ones to the disease. The stigma associated with addiction often means that lessons are not learned and the scale of the problem not known. It is time for an active and open engagement on drug misuse.

The Daniel Mervis Prize offers prizes (of £250 for first prize, £150 for second prize, and £100 for subsequent awards) for original work (creative writing, drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry, music or photography) responding to an annual topic and a separate prize for a student who has overcome adversity (whether mental or physical, past or present).

The prize is open to any current University of Oxford student (undergraduate and postgraduate in any course of study) and the closing date for entries has been extended to 17.00, Friday 17 March 2023 (end of 9th Week, Hilary Term).

Full details of the prize and how to enter are here and the terms and conditions here.

Applications should be submitted here (you will need to use your SSO to access the entry form).

Find out more about Daniel Mervis here (password: Lovedan).