Congratulations to DPhil candidate Elisa Cozzi who has won this year's Sir John Rhŷs Prize for her essay ‘From Dánta Grá to Dante: Irish-Italian Genealogies, 1350–1850’. The prize, the purpose of which is to promote the study of Celtic Languages, Literature, History, and Antiquities, is administered by the Trustees of the Rhŷs Fund. The prize is awarded by the judges every year to the writer of the best relevant essay or dissertation.
Elisa commented: "My essay traces the emergence and influence of literary, linguistic, and artistic connections between Ireland and Italy in Irish culture with a focus on the Romantic Period. Writing it gave me the chance to distil some of the core ideas that have informed my research for the past three years while expanding beyond subject- and period-specific boundaries. I was delighted to win this year’s Sir John Rhŷs Prize for a topic so close to my heart and am very grateful to the judges."
The judges said: "The winning entry was a clever and elegant reaction to the far from obvious topic of the construction of a Romantic Irish Gaelic cosmopolitan identity rooted in historical connections with Italy and continental Europe. The judges felt that the originality and sheer freshness of this entry made it a deserving winner of the Sir John Rhŷs Prize 2023."
