The Mary Renault Classical Reception Essay Competition is run annually by St Hugh's College, Oxford. Students write 2,000–4,000 word essays on the reception or influence of classical antiquity — ancient Greece, Rome, or related civilisations — in any discipline, including literature, history, art, film, or music.
Two or more prizes of up to £300 each are awarded. A small number of additional entries are highly commended. Prize-winners and commendees are invited to tea at the College in September. The competition is named after St Hugh's alumna Mary Renault, celebrated for her historical novels set in ancient Greece.