The prestigious £25,000 prize, sponsored by Haymarket Media Group, was established in memory of writer, editor and broadcaster Anthony Howard, and, from October, will see Lee undertake three successive fellowships with the titles most closely associated with Howard: the Times, the Observer and New Statesman.
Recognised as one of the most acute political commentators of his generation and a familiar face and voice on TV and radio, Howard was also a shrewd judge of new talent. With this in mind, Lord Heseltine, who established Haymarket Media Group, set up the award to honour the memory of his lifelong friend.
Applicants were invited to submit a detailed proposal for a 5,000-word essay on a political theme. Dulcie Lee, who edited the King’s College student newspaper Roar, won with her idea to examine how online abuse is affecting the lives and work of Britain's female politicians.
“I want to examine how misogynistic trolling has affected female parliamentarians’ ability to do their job with confidence, navigate their lives freely, and engage fully in the political process,” she said. “I’m really pleased to have won this terrific award.”
The prize was determined by Robert Harris, Peter Hennessy, Sir Jeremy Isaacs, Jeremy Paxman and Claire Tomalin.
