A SCHOOLGIRL'S exploration of the internet's influence on literature has seen off the competition to win a prestigious essay prize.

Georgie Newson-Errey's essay, Internet Literature and Performance, scooped top spot in The Christopher Marlowe Prize run by Corpus Christi College in Cambridge.

The 17-year-old's work explored both how the virtual world influenced literature as well as its role as a platform on which to publish work, and was inspired by her passion for literature.

The Cherwell School pupil said: "I was really pleased and very surprised because what I wrote about was very contemporary and I was not sure if they would go for that.

"The prestigious nature of the competition was playing on my mind a bit when I wrote it.

"I did not think I would win but I put a lot of effort in and I did not want it all to be for nothing."

As well as picking up a £300 prize Georgie will travel to Cambridge for an awards ceremony at Corpus Christi.

The Year 12 pupil entered the competition at the start of the year following encouragement from her teachers and said her schoolwork had contributed to her success.

She said: "I am very interested in history and old takes on new texts and the stuff we do in school is the traditional literary canon.

"So I like to compare it to the stuff I read outside of school.

"I study Hamlet at school and I love it and think it is amazing to study and to learn how to critically engage."

The Christopher Marlowe Prize for English is one of three essay-writing contests run for Year 12 pupils by Corpus Christi.

The EP Thompson Prize accepts entries about history while The Corpus Essay Prize is for economics.

Georgie, who will sit A-Levels in English literature, philosophy and maths next summer, wants to study English at university and said she would consider applying to Corpus Christi following her success.

Chris Price, headteacher of The Cherwell School, said: "This is a huge achievement and a first for a student from this school.

"This is a prestigious competition and we are all so proud of Georgie.

"To produce something of this quality, while at the same time completing her A-Levels, is really quite remarkable."