The Minds Underground™ English Essay Competition 2026
The Minds Underground™ English Essay Competition 2026 invites students in Year 12 (with younger entrants and university re-applicants in Year 13 also welcome) to explore the ideas, movements, and moral questions that shape literature.
This competition encourages students to engage critically with language, authorship, and interpretation, reflecting on how literature challenges and transforms the world - from the role of poetry and authorship to debates about representation and censorship.
Open to UK and international students, the competition provides an opportunity to demonstrate close reading, independent thought, and critical writing valued by top universities. Entrants should choose one question to answer.
The 2026 Minds Underground English Essay Competition questions are now live. Submit by 3 April 2026!
2026 English Essay Competition Questions
01
Where do women fit in your mostly male catalogue of writers?
02.
Auden once said “poetry makes nothing happen”. Do you agree?
03.
Should we still read “problematic” authors?
N.B. The best answers will provide examples from literary texts.
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Interested in an English Competition Mentor? Looking for specialist support researching & writing? Our Oxbridge-educated masterminds are here to help! Sessions from £75/h + VAT. Enquire here
Past Questions
01
Devise a new punctuation mark – and defend it.
Try to treat this as an academic essay - research linguistic theory for background - what is the purpose of punctuation? How does it convey meaning or expression?
02.
Discuss ‘self-reflection’ and ‘self-knowledge’ in relation to the works you have studied.
03.
Should texts that offend still be studied and why?
N.B. You may be interested in undertaking one of MU’s online World Literature masterclasses with our subject experts to give you ideas and help direct your research. Check out the examples below!
