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The Great Debate Final 2024
25th March 2024
Winner:
Emma Crow of Broxburn Academy, Broxburn, Scotland
Runners up:
Abigail Powers of The Ladies’ College, Guernsey
Erica Wright of William Farr School, Lincolnshire
Rachel McGarry of Shavington Academy, Crewe, Cheshire
Finalists
Sofia Ntege, North Oxfordshire Academy, Banbury
Harry Gray, Exeter School, Exeter
Rhea Cherrington, Bablake School, Coventry
Molly Grimshaw,...
The Great Debate Final 2024
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The Young Quills Shortlist 2022
5th May 2022
The Historical Association is excited to announce the shortlist for the Young Quills, the annual awards for children’s and young adult historical fiction.
5-9 years
The Chessmen Thief, by Barbara Henderson, Pokey Hat Edgar and Adolf, by Phil Earle and Michael Wagg, OUP Oxford The Royal Rebel, by Bali Rai, Barrington...
The Young Quills Shortlist 2022
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The Great Debate 2017: speeches
How did the First World War affect me and my community?
The final of the Great Debate 2016/17 took place on Saturday 11 March 2017 at the Imperial War Museum, London.
There were 20 finalists (one via video link) aged between 16 and 19 from our heats that took place across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Each student had...
The Great Debate 2017: speeches
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The Great Debate Final 2015
What does Magna Carta mean to me?
The final of the Great Debate 2015 took place on Saturday 14th March 2015 at Royal Holloway, University of London.
There were 18 finalists (aged between 16 and 19) from our heats that took place across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Each student had five minutes to present their...
The Great Debate Final 2015
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The Great Debate 2015 Winner
The Great Debate
The Great Debate 2015 Winner
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What is the Great Debate?
The Great Debate
In this short film from 2015 Heather Scott (former Deputy President of the HA and compere of our Great Debate Finals) & Martin Spafford (Judge from our London Heats) introduce the Great Debate, talk about why students should get involved and discuss what they enjoy about the Great Debate.
What is the Great Debate?
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The Great Debate 2012 Final
Why does history matter to you?
The final of the Great Debate 2012 took place on Saturday 10th March at Merton College, Oxford. There were 24 finalists (aged between 16 and 19) from our heats that took place across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Each student had five minutes to present their case on 'why does...
The Great Debate 2012 Final
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The Great Debate 2010 Final
Why does your local hero matter?
The final of the Great Debate 2010 took place on Saturday 13th March at Clare College, Cambridge. There were 19 finalists (aged between 16 and 19) from our heats that took place across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Each student had five minutes to present their case on...
The Great Debate 2010 Final
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The Great Debate: Advice for Students
The Great Debate
In this short film from 2015 Heather Scott (former Deputy President of the HA and compere of our Great Debate Finals) & Martin Spafford (Judge from our London Heats) provide advice for prospective students who might want to take part in the Great Debate. Martin and Heather also explain what...
The Great Debate: Advice for Students
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The Great Debate: the 2012 Winner
The Great Debate
In this short film Arianna Azari (Winner of our 2012 Great Debate competition) discusses why she took part in the Great Debate, what she got out of it, and gives her top tips for Public Speaking.
The Great Debate: the 2012 Winner
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BBC Film of Belfast Great Debate Heat 2011
Great Debate Belfast Heat
In Autumn 2011 BBC Northern Ireland interviewed the contestants from our Great Debate Belfast Heat.
Click on the links below to find out more about these students and why history matters to them!
BBC Film of Belfast Great Debate Heat 2011
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Young Historian Awards 2018 – Winners
Young Historian Awards
Each year the Historical Association partners with the Spirit of Normandy Trust to award young historians who have shown excellent knowledge and demonstrated historical argument around a subject associated with a series of themes. The competition is divided into age brackets and the entry at secondary level is by essay judged...
Young Historian Awards 2018 – Winners
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Young Historian Awards 2020 – Winners
Annual competition, HA and The Spirit of Normandy Trust
Each year the Historical Association partners with The Spirit of Normandy Trust to award young historians who have shown excellent knowledge and demonstrated historical argument around a subject associated with a series of themes. The competition is divided into age brackets and the entry at secondary level is by essay...
Young Historian Awards 2020 – Winners
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Young Historian Awards 2019 – Winners
Annual competition, HA and The Spirit of Normandy Trust
Each year the Historical Association partners with The Spirit of Normandy Trust to award young historians who have shown excellent knowledge and demonstrated historical argument around a subject associated with a series of themes. The competition is divided into age brackets and the entry at secondary level is by essay judged...
Young Historian Awards 2019 – Winners
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Young Quills winners 2024
The Young Quills Awards for best historical fiction for young people
The Young Quills winners and highly commended have been announced for his year. This competition for historical fiction for children is a way of celebrating and recognising those authors who are continuing the long tradition of creative writing about the past for children.
All of the books are reviewed by...
Young Quills winners 2024
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Great Debate FAQs
The Great Debate
Below are some frequently asked questions about the Great Debate and the logistics of the heats.
If you need more information, you can get in touch with us directly at greatdebate@history.org.uk.
How does the debate work?
Each student will have five minutes to deliver their argument in response to the...
Great Debate FAQs
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Young Quills reviews 2022
The Young Quills Awards for best historical fiction
The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition – so 2021 for this year’s selection. Divided by age suitability the books are given to schools on the condition that the children and young people there write...
Young Quills reviews 2022
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Young Quills winners 2023
The Young Quills Awards for best historical fiction for young people
It is with great pleasure that the HA is able to announce the winners of the Young Quills for Historical Fiction for 2023:
Young readers category
Winner: Tony Bradman for Bruno and Frida (Barrington Stoke)Highly Commended: Judith Eagle for Accidental Stowaway (Faber)
Intermediate category
Winner: Tom Palmer for Resist (Barrington...
Young Quills winners 2023
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Young Quills reviews 2024
The Young Quills Awards for best historical fiction for young people
The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition – so 2023 for this year’s selection. Divided by age suitability the books are given to schools on the condition that the children and young people there write...
Young Quills reviews 2024
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Young Quills reviews 2023
The Young Quills Awards for best historical fiction for young people
The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition – so 2022 for this year’s selection. Divided by age suitability the books are given to schools on the condition that the children and young people there write...
Young Quills reviews 2023
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Advice on Public Speaking
Podcast
At the Taunton/South West England heat of the Great Debate the head judge, Marcus Paul (Deputy Head of Queens College, Taunton), gave some valuable tips on public speaking.
If you are interested in public speaking or want to take part in our next Great Debate competition this podcast will prove...
Advice on Public Speaking
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Young Quills 2014 - Secondary Shortlist
Young Quills
Thank you to all of you who applied to take part in this year's Young Quills Awards. We had far more schools apply than we could accommodate, so some of you are bound to be disappointed. The books have been sent out to participating schools this week, and should be...
Young Quills 2014 - Secondary Shortlist
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Young Quills 2013/14 - Primary Shortlist
Young Quills
Thank you to all of you who applied to take part in this year's Young Quills Awards. We had far more schools apply than we could accommodate, so some of you are bound to be disappointed. The books have been sent out to participating schools this week, and should be...
Young Quills 2013/14 - Primary Shortlist
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Suffrage Poster Competition Winners
17th July 2019
Congratulations to four students from Newport Girls' High School – Daniah, Romaisa, Hetavi and Saira – who created the winning poster for our Suffrage competition.
The poster had a modern message while demonstrating research and inspiration from a local suffragist from the past. The judges at the HA were very...
Suffrage Poster Competition Winners
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Young Quills 2019 shortlist
Young Quills Awards
Books, books, books – we’ve been surrounded by books in the HA office and what is more, we’ve been relying on other people to tell us about them. Yes, it’s been Young Quills reviewing time. From the start of this year pupils and students around the country have been delving...
Young Quills 2019 shortlist
