Humanities and Social Sciences, Cornwall

The Tony Hibbert Prize

The Tony Hibbert Prize was established in memory of Second World War veteran, Tony Hibbert. It is a collaboration between Tony’s family, Trebah Garden, and the University of Exeter, Cornwall.

Tony Hibbert was a British army officer who fought in the Second World War, seeing action in the Battle of France, the North African Campaign, the Italian Campaign and German-occupied Netherlands. On his retirement in 1981, he and his wife Eira, purchased Trebah Garden in Cornwall – a critical departure point for the US 29th Infantry Division for the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach in 1944 – eventually opening regularly to visitors from 1987.

The prize invites Cornish school students in years 7 to 13 (Key Stages 3-5) to develop creative responses which link their interest in the history of modern war with the world we live in today. Whether through creative writing, a journalistic essay, art, digital storytelling, or filmmaking, students are invited to develop projects around a set theme that will encourage them to think about the relationship between 20th century conflict and the challenges the world faces today.

Photo of tony hibbert holding the seal of kiel.

Major Tony Hibbert being awarded the Great Seal of Kiel in 2010. Photo courtesy of the Hibbert family and Trebah Garden.

Tony’s war experience meant that he dedicated much of his time and energy to encouraging reflection on conflict and its legacies in modern society. Each year at Trebah Garden he held an Airborne Forces Day, bringing together large numbers of people to commemorate the fight against fascism in Europe. The prize therefore goes to the creative pieces (across three age categories) which express best that which was most important to Tony Hibbert: courage, resistance, tolerance, and an appreciation of history as a discipline.

The Tony Hibbert Prize was set up in 2025 by Professor Catriona Pennell and the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Cornwall and is a collaboration between the University of Exeter, Cornwall, the Hibbert family, and Trebah Garden.

How to apply

The theme for the 2026 competition is: ‘Cornwall at war’.

The judges are looking for entries that engage with this theme by students who can link their interest in the history of modern war with the world we live in today. Whether through creative writing, a journalistic essay, art, digital storytelling, or filmmaking, students are invited to develop projects that encourage their audiences to think about the relationship between 20th century conflict and the challenges the world faces today. Judges will award marks based on:

  • Engagement with the theme
  • Creativity in approach – innovative angle on the content, original interpretation of the theme, challenging preconceptions/misconceptions
  • Content – clear, accurate, imaginative, and informative
  • Effective communication – presented and communicated in an engaging way
  • A passion for history and its present day relevance
  • Proper acknowledgement of any sources used

The deadline for the competition is 12pm on Friday 24 April 2026.

ACCEPTED ENTRY FORMATS:

Only submissions submitted in the following formats can be accepted.

  • Essays or written stories: We recommend a minimum length of 500 words and a maximum word length of 1,000 words (excluding references). We regret that entries that go over this word limit may not be considered. These can be illustrated with supporting images, maps, photographs, sketches, etc. [Format for submission: PDF]
  • Posters: Posters, up to A2 in size (with minimum text size: 14 pts) can be submitted electronically. Posters can be made by hand (and then scanned/photographed) or using a graphics package on a computer. We can’t accept digitally animated posters, but static graphics are welcome and encouraged. [Format for submission: PDF]
  • Films/videos: Films can be submitted, up to a maximum duration of 5 minutes. These must be uploaded onto a commonly accessible video sharing platform (such as YouTube or Vimeo) and the URL link included on the Student entry form. Please note that video and audio material should only be used with the permission of the copyright holder.
  • Podcasts: An audio podcast can be submitted, up to a maximum duration of 8 minutes. This must be uploaded onto a commonly accessible audio sharing platform (such as Soundcloud) and the URL link included on the Student entry form. Please note that audio material (including music) should only be used with the permission of the copyright holder.

HOW TO ENTER:

  1. Check that you are eligible to enter this competition; you must be studying History at a secondary school or Sixth Form in Cornwall in Years 7 to 13 inclusive.
  2. Confirm that you have the support of a teacher to enter this competition (see Step 4 below).
  3. Create your entry, following the guidance above and ensuring you have met the criteria for acceptable entry formats and lengths.
  4. Complete the Student entry form and submit to Hibbert-Prize@exeter.ac.uk along with your PDF submission or URL link.
  5. Get everything submitted before the deadline of 12pm on 24 April 2026.
  6. If you do not receive a confirmation receipt via email of your entry, please email us at Hibbert-Prize@exeter.ac.uk.

GOOD LUCK!

Workshops

Early in 2026 we intend to host two workshops – one in person on the University of Exeter’s Cornwall Campus in Penryn and one online – to answer any questions you might have about the competition and how to enter.

More information about these activities will be posted here soon.

Governance, Judging and Prizes

The Tony Hibbert Prize is overseen by an Advisory Board, chaired by Chris Hibbert (son of Tony) and consisting of:

  • Jon Cummins (CEO, Trebah Garden)
  • Harry Pitts (Head of Department, HaSS Cornwall)
  • Jim Kelly (Humanities Subject Lead, HaSS Cornwall)
  • Wendy McMahon (Widening Participation Lead, HaSS Cornwall)
  • Catriona Pennell (Professor of Modern History and Memory Studies, HaSS Cornwall)

The prize will be judged by a Judging Panel using the criteria found under how to apply tab. The judging panel will be chaired by Catriona Pennell along with other members of staff from the University of Exeter. Their names will be confirmed here soon.

A prize of £100 worth of book tokens will be awarded to the winning submission in each age category:

  1. Years 7-8
  2. Years 9-11
  3. Years 12-13

Prize winners will also get a day’s free entry to Trebah Garden for themselves and up to three family members, valid for up to 12 months. A prize-giving ceremony will be hosted at Trebah Garden in July 2026.

Contact

For further information, please email us at Hibbert-Prize@exeter.ac.uk.