Senior Writing Excellence Honored at Blacker Prizes

There are writing awards you may have heard of such as the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the Man Booker.

In Belmont, there are the Blacker Prizes, presented each year to three Belmont High School seniors for outstanding writing on their senior theses. 

Tonight, May 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the high school library, the English Department at Belmont High School will present the annual Lillian F. Blacker Prizes for Excellence in Writing.

Family and friends established the Blacker Prizes more than 20 years ago in memory of Lillian F. Blacker, a longtime Belmont resident who was very active in community affairs and was director of the Harvard Medical News Office. She is remembered by the school and the community as a true lover of literature and language.

The Blacker Prizes are presented each year to three High School seniors for outstanding writing ability on their senior theses. Each entering senior is required to read, research, and write a lengthy paper investigating a literary topic. English faculty members determine the winners after an extensive reading process.

At the awards ceremony, the three Blacker Prize winners will read from their papers and discuss the evolution of their ideas. A panel of seniors will discuss their topics and the senior thesis process.

Teachers, parents, administrators, friends and the public are invited.  Underclassmen are encouraged to attend the ceremony to learn more about the senior thesis process. Refreshments will be served.