£50k Wolfson History Prize shortlist announced

In the UK, the shortlist for the £50,000 (A$88,400) Wolfson History Prize has been announced.

The shortlisted works of history are:

• The Ottomans: Khans, caesars and caliphs (Marc David Baer, Basic Books)
• The Ruin of All Witches: Life and death in the new world (Malcolm Gaskill, Allen Lane)
• Devil-Land: England under siege, 1588–1688 (Clare Jackson, Allen Lane)
• Going to Church in Medieval England (Nicholas Orme, Yale University Press)
• God: An anatomy (Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Picador)
• Fallen Idols: Twelve statues that made history (Alex von Tunzelmann, Headline).

Each of the shortlisted authors receives £5000 (A$8800); in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the award, the total prize fund increased to £75,000 (A$132,600).

The UK’s most valuable nonfiction writing prize, the annual Wolfson History Prize was created to ‘champion the best and most accessible historical writing and to highlight the importance of history to modern life’. The prize is run by independent charity the Wolfson Foundation, which awards grants in the fields of science, health, education, arts and the humanities.

Last year’s prize was won by Sudhir Hazareesingh for Black Spartacus: The epic life of Toussaint Louverture (Allen Lane). The winner of this year’s award will be announced on 22 June.

Category: International news