Cundill History Prize 2018 finalists announced

In Canada, the finalists have been announced for the Cundill History Prize, which rewards ‘the best history writing in English’.

Chosen from a shortlist of eight, the finalists are:

• Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Caroline Fraser, Fleet)
• The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World (Maya Jasanoff, HarperCollins)
• A Cold Welcome: The Little Ice Age and Europe’s Encounter with North America (Sam White, Harvard University Press).

Of the shortlisted works, all of which are American histories, the judges said: ‘These three books each demonstrate innovative and different ways of writing history, through exploration of climate change’s impact on American settlements, women’s struggles with the American frontier, and the modern relevance of a famous but sometimes forgotten novelist.’

Winning US$10,000 (A$13,880) each, the three finalists are now in the running for the grand prize of US$75,000 (A$104,120), which will be announced in Montreal on 15 November.

Administered by McGill University in Montreal, the Cundill Prize is awarded annually to an individual from any country for a book that has had or is likely to have ‘a profound literary, social and academic impact in the area of history’.

For more information about the prize, visit the Cundill Prize website.

Tags: awardsCundill History Prize

Category: Awards International news