The Society, in furtherance of its aims to support study related to the life and works of Dorothy L Sayers, currently makes a number of renewable annual awards, intended to be held by young people at the beginning of their careers.
This award was instituted in 2005. The current holder is Helena Buckie, who is using her award to support her ongoing studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Helena first came to the attention of the Society in 2003, when she played the violin for us in a presentation at Bluntisham entitled “Excited about the Bells”. She has since performed regularly at Society events.
She is currently a member of the National Children’s Orchestra, and has recently been accepted into the National Youth Orchestra.
In 2005 she took up the trumpet, and has rapidly gained confidence and expertise. In July 2007 she took part in the première performance of He is Armoured Without by Peter Wiegold at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. She has been greatly complimented by her tutors, and has recently been advised to obtain a better instrument to match her skills!
This award was instituted in 2006, in conjunction with Theatre Centre. The current holder is Robert Solar. Previous holders have been Marcy Oni and Sam Donavan.
Theatre Centre was founded in 1953 by Brian Way. Dorothy L Sayers became involved at a very early stage after seeing “an astonishingly good potted production” of her radio series The Man Born to be King. She immediately joined the Management Committee and donated £200. She wrote to her friend Norah Lambourne: “I have gone into management in a small way!!…Brian Way is quite a remarkable producer…and he and Margaret Faulkes are…keen and businesslike. They started the whole show on twopence ha’penny of their own…but they have just discovered that twopence ha’penny won’t really run productions and pay rent…so thinking they were worth helping, I said I would finance them for a year and see how they got on. The poor dears quite goggled with pleasure and surprise and I felt a blooming benefactor.”
This award was instituted in 2009. The current holder is Chloë Guthrie. The award enabled her to attend the Hereford Ringing Course in April 2009.
Chloë was nominated by the Ladies’ Guild of Change Ringers. Dorothy L Sayers was an honorary member of the Guild, enabling her to write knowledgeably about ringing in The Nine Tailors.
Dame Norma Major made the presentation to Chloë in St Mary’s Church, Bluntisham on Saturday 21st March. There were some appropriate readings and the bells were rung. There is a full review of the events in Bulletin 203.
In addition to the above awards for young people, the Society has also created a new open competitive award named after its President, the Italian scholar and writer Dr Barbara Reynolds. It is awarded in respect of a work which reflects or furthers some aspect of the life or work of Dorothy L Sayers.
The first award of £1000 was presented to Crystal Downing on Saturday 13th June in the Michaelhouse Centre, Cambridge by Dr Barbara Reynolds. The date was specially chosen since it is the joint birthday of Barbara Reynolds and Dorothy L Sayers. Crystal Downing is Professor of English and Film Studies at Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania; her winning book is Writing Performances: The Stages of Dorothy L Sayers.
Entries for the Award had been submitted from Australia, France, Germany, The United Kingdom and The United States of America. Themes covered Biography, Literature, Theology and Lord Peter Wimsey.
The press releases announcing the award and its presentation to Crystal are here and here.
Copyright © The Dorothy L Sayers Society.
Registered Charity Number 272120