$86k Sophie Kerr Prize Goes to Maryland’s Jaya S. Basu
Bethesda native whose work has already received national attention will take home the prestigious literary award.
Jaya S. Basu of Bethesda, Maryland, has been awarded the prestigious Sophie Kerr Prize at Washington College. The award was presented to the graduating senior this evening. Basu was one of six finalists vying for the Prize, which is the nation’s largest literary award for a college student and totals more than the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award combined. Now in its 59th year, the award total was $86,702.
Basu's submitted portfolio contained poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and playwriting, and explored the forces of attraction that govern the universe and act on all bodies.
"As a writer I pride myself on being very multi-disciplinarian,” they said of their submitted works. “I try to get my fingers in as many pies as possible and learn as much as I can. I tried with my portfolio to show how I can blur the lines between genres.”
“Jaya’s writing combines erudition and urgency with beauty, surprise, ambition, and purpose,” said Sean Meehan, Washington College associate dean for curricular innovations and English department co-chair. “These aren’t traits that easily cohere for professional writers let alone undergraduates.”
A theatre and English double major with a creative writing minor, Basu is no stranger to accolades and early success. Their poem “Romance of the Kitchen Sink” recently won the Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award Sonnet Prize at West Chester University. Additionally, their original play “Mahamoha” is the co-recipient of the Nathan Louis Jackson Playwriting Award, second place recipient of the Paul Stephen Lim Playwright Award, and one of eight regional nominations for the National Partners of the American Theatre Julie Jenson Playwriting Award, all from American College Theatre Festival.
In taking the stage to accept their award, Basu thanked everyone who had supported them throughout the years, including the communities they'd been a part of across campus.
“I feel as though I have grown so much in my time here and that’s in no small part because of the people here, including those on stage with me,” said Basu.
“I stand here as one of very few people of color who have won this award at a predominately white institution,” they noted, emphasizing the difficulty that challenge posed at times. “All of my experiences have shaped me as a person. I’m proud of myself. Being able to be a part of this community and accept this award is so incredibly shaping and meaningful.”
This year’s keynote speaker was Wiley Cash, a New York Times best-selling author versed in Southern history, mystery, and family drama, who is currently serving as Washington College’s Patrick Henry Fellow. In November 2025, Cash was the recipient of the 2025 North Carolina Award for Literature, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the state of North Carolina. The award, presented by Governor Josh Stein, recognizes his significant contributions to literature and his focus on Southern life. He is the author of four novels. His short stories and essays have appeared in the Oxford American, Garden & Gun, Our State Magazine, and other publications, and his fiction has been adapted for the stage and film.
A Literary Prize as Unique as Washington College:
A proud tradition of the College’s liberal arts education, the Sophie Kerr Prize is named for an early 20th century writer from the Eastern Shore of Maryland who published more than 20 novels and hundreds of short stories. In her will, Kerr left a generous bequest to the College with the stipulation that half of its annual proceeds fund a literary prize for a student.
Open to all Washington College students from any major, the prize is awarded each year to the graduating senior who has the best ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor. In the past, it has been awarded for both creative and critical writing alike. A committee comprising full-time faculty in the English Department and the President review and make the final decision. Winners are chosen for their literary excellence, regardless of genre. A full list of Sophie Kerr Prize winners since its inception in 1968 is available online.
In addition to the life-changing literary award, the support made possible by Sophie Kerr’s gift continues to fund experiences and offerings for Washington College students throughout the academic year. For more than 50 years the endowment has brought many of the nation’s top writers, editors, and scholars to Washington’s campus including Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Pinsky, Edward Albee, Joseph Brodsky, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, James McBride, Eamon Grennan, Charles Simic, and Jane Smiley. Funding scholarships and internships and enabling research in literature, writing, and publishing, round out the impressive impact made possible by the Sophie Kerr legacy.
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About Washington College:
Washington College, Maryland’s premier liberal arts college, enrolls approximately 1,000 undergraduates from more than 39 states and territories and 23 nations. Washington is known for outstanding academics in more than 50 academic programs. With an emphasis on experiential learning opportunities across the disciplines, ranging from internships and research to international study and civic engagement, Washington prepares students for successful careers and lives after graduation. The College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing as well as the 5,000-acre River and Field Campus, which provides unique research opportunities for students and faculty. Additionally, the recently launched Warehime School of Business at Washington College is redefining business education by blending strategy and economics with a global liberal arts perspective. Launching this fall, Warehime empowers bold thinkers to lead across industries through a curriculum rooted in purpose, world languages, and hands-on experience. Learn more at www.washcoll.edu.