I was honured to receive the Reaktion Book Prize for my piece on the Indian Institute building. In this 5,000 word essay, I examined the origins and shifting identity of the building, seeking to critically contextualise the social and political motivations of the project, and to trace how these evolved over time and in relation to the building’s changing functions.

Having completed the first year of my degree in History of Art at Christ Church, I have begun my university experience completely saturated with beauty and culture – whether in the college’s picture gallery, in my course lectures, or in the very architecture of the college and city. I have no doubt that I will continue to enjoy this privilege in the coming year, particularly in my role as the Arts Representative of the JCR and in my work placement in the Eastern Art collection of the Ashmolean museum. I look forward to all the beauty I have left to see, and to all that I have left to learn in my time here.