Jaya S. Basu, an Indian American student of Washington College, Maryland’s premier liberal arts college, has won the prestigious Sophie Kerr Prize, the nation’s largest literary award for a college student.
Basu was one of six finalists vying for the Prize, which in its 59th year totals $86,702, more than the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award combined.
Her submitted portfolio contained poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and playwriting, and explored the forces of attraction that govern the universe and act on all bodies.
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“As a writer I pride myself on being very multi-disciplinarian,” Basu said. “I try to get my fingers in as many pies as possible and learn as much as I can. I tried with my portfolio to show how I can blur the lines between genres.”
“I stand here as one of very few people of color who have won this award at a predominately white institution,” Basu noted, emphasizing the difficulty that challenge posed at times. “All of my experiences have shaped me as a person. I’m proud of myself. Being able to be a part of this community and accept this award is so incredibly shaping and meaningful.”
“Jaya’s writing combines erudition and urgency with beauty, surprise, ambition, and purpose,” said Sean Meehan, Washington College associate dean for curricular innovations and English department co-chair. “These aren’t traits that easily cohere for professional writers let alone undergraduates.”
A theatre and English double major with a creative writing minor, Basu’s poem “Romance of the Kitchen Sink” recently won the Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award Sonnet Prize at West Chester University.
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Additionally, Badu’s original play “Mahamoha” is the co-recipient of the Nathan Louis Jackson Playwriting Award, second place recipient of the Paul Stephen Lim Playwright Award, and one of eight regional nominations for the National Partners of the American Theatre Julie Jenson Playwriting Award, all from American College Theatre Festival.
The Sophie Kerr Prize is named for an early 20th century writer from the Eastern Shore of Maryland who published more than 20 novels and hundreds of short stories. In her will, Kerr left a generous bequest to the College with the stipulation that half of its annual proceeds fund a literary prize for a student.
Open to all Washington College students from any major, the prize is awarded each year to the graduating senior who has the best ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor.