To celebrate the relaunch of their Durham branch, the Historical Association reached out to Sixth Form Colleges across the region, asking their students to consider whether or not emotion has a place in the study of history?

The study of emotions in history is still a new field with many historians starting to delve into the past with a new paradigm to view the events and characters of those times. However, by taking emotion into account, the feelings and motivations of those from years gone by may come to light and those names may start to have some character added to them.

The place of this form of study is what the students from Durham Sixth Form Centre grappled with in an essay competition hosted by the Historical Association, in partnership with Durham University. Each entrant had to write an essay based around the title ‘Is there a place for emotion in the study of history?’. The only parameters were that the essay had a maximum length of 1,500 words, aside from this, the students could approach the essay in any form they deemed fit.

The Historical Association had two 1st place prizes to give out, each winner would be awarded a place at a gowned three-course meal on behalf of Durham University and a 1-year subscription to the Historical Association for their school. Durham Sixth Form Centre had not only one but two winning entries. Eve Price in year 12 who looked at how emotion can help us better understand Jack the Ripper’s victims and Rachael Vallis, also in year 12, who looked at how emotion helped inspire her to learn more about the lives of people from the past. Needless to say we are thrilled and would like to congratulate Eve and Rachael and all who entered.