Students write essays and tutors mark and return them. There seems no place in the loop for other students to share in the collective process of producing essays. Yet peer scrutiny and review is, potentially, an important aid to essay writing and self development: introduced in the right fashion, and in a supportive environment, peer review can encourage class cooperation, and enable students to reflect on their own performance as they assess the writing of others. In addition, readily accessible essays covering aspects of the course add to knowledge and are a useful revision aid; and a group of selected and anonymous essays handed down from one student cohort to the next serves to illustrate facets of essay writing and style, and the diverse ways of tackling essay topics.