Lucy Prebble awarded honorary degree from the University of Sheffield
Lucy Prebble, an alumna of the School of English, has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Sheffield in recognition of her significant contributions to writing for stage and screen.
Prebble graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University in 2002. During her time as a student, she wrote her first short play, which received an award at the National Student Drama Festival. She went on to win the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright in 2003 for her debut play The Sugar Syndrome.
Since then, she has established a distinguished career across theatre, television, and screenwriting. Her theatre work includes ENRON, The Effect, and A Very Expensive Poison, all of which have been staged to critical acclaim in London and internationally. Her television writing includes Secret Diary of a Call Girl and I Hate Suzie, co-created with Billie Piper, which received nominations for multiple awards.
She is also known for her role as executive producer and writer on the HBO drama Succession, one of the most acclaimed television series of recent years. Her work has been recognised with multiple awards and nominations, including Primetime Emmys, a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award, and two Laurence Olivier Award nominations. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
In her remarks at the graduation ceremony, Prebble reflected on the importance of her time at the University:
“My heart was forged in Sheffield. I never knew that art could be a way of life before I studied literature here... I never knew a city could feel so friendly but punch so hard, historically, culturally, politically, musically. This place was a beginning for me.”
Prebble’s career demonstrates the range of opportunities open to graduates of English and the influence that humanities disciplines can have across the cultural sector.