Penguin Collectors Society (PCS) Post-Graduate (PG) Bursary Scheme
PCS is an educational charity and wishes to get closer to Universities, Departments and Post-Graduate Students studying disciplines of interest to PCS. In 2013 it identified the subject areas and the Universities best representing them and shared proposals for a PG Bursary scheme with the Course Directors.
The relevant subjects include History of the Book, Publishing, Book Art, Illustration and Design. The following Universities have relevant post-graduate provision and are now affiliated to PCS and participate in the bursary scheme.
Affiliated Universities and Courses
1.1 University of the Arts London
1.2 Oxford Brookes University
1.3 University of Edinburgh
1.4 University of London
1.5 University of Reading
1.6 Anglia Ruskin University
1.7 Edinburgh Napier University
1.8 University of Stirling
1.9 University of Plymouth
1.10 Kingston University
1.11 City University
1.12 University College London
1.13 Bath Spa University
1.14 University of Central Lancashire
1.15 Exeter University
Affiliate University Status
- The above-named University Department/Centre etc will be the affiliated partner.
- The above-named contact becomes the Official Correspondent of the University and the PCS annual member.
- The annual member will receive new PCS publications and invitations to events including the AGM.
- The annual member will receive a sample of previous PCS publications.
- The annual member will be encouraged to use the PCS website https://www.penguincollectorssociety.org and purchase PCS publications for their Subject Library and add such titles to relevant course reading lists.
- The annual member will receive the 'Terms' of an Annual PCS Post-Graduate Bursary Scheme, currently valued at £600 per award.
Terms of the PCS Bursary (2023-24)
A Bursary is available through open competition to post-graduate students studying at one of the above-named Affiliated Universities. The University annual member will internally advertise the Bursary to master’s students studying one of their approved awards either as a single subject or in a combined study. The Bursary is to support the Dissertation Module or its equivalent where independent study is to be demonstrated. This is normally taken in Semester 2 of a one-year, full-time programme or in year two of a part-time programme. Depending on its credit value the Dissertation will have a word limit of between 12-15,000 words in an MA/MSc and up to 20,000 words in a MRes.
The Bursary is available to support travel and access to archival material, library collections, named people employed by Penguin Books or authors/illustrators involved in Penguin publications. The Bursary will be disbursed by the annual member.
The Affiliated University will require students to submit an Independent Study Proposal to the course leader in January/February. They can then submit up to two suitable proposals to the PCS Trustees by 31 March. A Trustee panel will decide on the award(s) in early April and inform the course leader, and thereafter the successful student(s), before the end of the month.
Each year PCS will provide on its website, a collation of past bursary winners published work in The Collector and some information on Penguin-related anniversaries which could be celebrated through student research. We will also provide examples of areas of study we would be pleased to support but will not be overly prescriptive in this regard (see below).
A Bursary holder will be required to successfully complete the study for the University award and to provide an electronic copy of their dissertation to the editor of the PCS journal, The Penguin Collector, along with either a recommendation of an extract from it or a précis of the whole text, in either case of no more than 2,000 words. This will be considered for publication as adding to the body of work already published on the history, content and design of Penguin Books Ltd.
We would expect the Award Ceremony Proceedings to acknowledge the graduate student as having been awarded a PCS Bursary.
Annual members and their supported students would be invited to contribute to PCS Study Days and AGM proceedings as appropriate.
In the event of a bursary award being made but the conditions of the award not being met, PCS retains the right to withdraw the Affiliate status from the university until such time as the Trustees are reassured.
The Open Competition started in the Academic year 2014-2015 and PCS made its inaugural award to Kelly Neubeiser at Oxford Brookes University. Her study was entitled ‘Defining the Classics how Penguin impacted upon the evolution of a timeless genre’. A report of her work was published in Penguin Collector 86 (June 2016). Subsequent award winners have had their research reports published annually in the June edition.
The 2022-23 Bursary Scheme was launched on 1 October 2022 and closed on 31st March 2023. The Trustees awarded one Bursary to Phoebe Williams, an MA Publishing student at University College London. Her dissertation title was 'For Older Boys' and Girls': Peacock Books and the New Teenager'. We look forward to reading an extract of her findings in The Collector next June.
Bursary winners will become (subscription-free) annual members of PCS for five years and will receive copies of all in-year publications and invitations to our Study Days and AGMs. We also hope more students will become members.
The 2023-24 Bursary Scheme will be launched on the 1st October 2023. Once again, we will try and whet student appetites with reference to notable Penguin-related anniversaries. It is the 80th anniversary of Modern Painters and Reference, the 75th anniversary of Music Scores and the 65th anniversary of Plays.
Other examples of potential areas of study
- Penguin Books as a major publisher of the twentieth century
- Penguin Books as a revolutionary paperback publisher
- The social impact of Penguin Books
- The impact of Penguin Books in the Second World War
- A study of the Penguin publications of a single author
- A study of a single series published by Penguin Books
- Any aspect of design associated with Penguin Books
Prof Jeff Lucas [email protected]
PCS Trustee (Post-Graduate Bursary Scheme)
September 2023
