Shortlist announced for £40k Wolfson History Prize

In the UK, the shortlist for the £40,000 (A$76,200) Wolfson History Prize shortlist has been announced.

The shortlisted titles are:

• Survivors: Children’s lives after the Holocaust (Rebecca Clifford, Yale University Press)
• Black Spartacus: The epic life of Toussaint Louverture (Sudhir Hazareesingh, Allen Lane)
• Ravenna: Capital of empire, crucible of Europe (Judith Herrin, Allen Lane)
• Double Lives: A history of working motherhood (Helen McCarthy, Bloomsbury)
• Burning the Books: A history of knowledge under attack (Richard Ovenden, John Murray Press)
• Atlantic Wars: From the fifteenth century to the age of revolution (Geoffrey Plank, OUP).

Each of the shortlisted authors receives £4000 (A$7100).

‘This year’s shortlist shows us that, despite the unprecedented challenges of the past year, the diversity and quality of history writing in the United Kingdom continues to endure,’ said judging panel chair and British Academy president David Cannadine. ‘As jurors, we were absorbed and impressed by these six books and the commitment of their authors to uncover some of the lesser-known narratives of the past.’

The annual award is run by independent charity the Wolfson Foundation, which awards grants in the fields of science, health, education, arts and the humanities.

The winner will be announced on 9 June. Last year’s prize was won by David Abulafia’s The Boundless Sea (Allen Lane), a history of humankind told through its relationship with the world’s oceans.

Category: International news