This year’s Wolfson History Prize 2021 dates have been confirmed, with the shortlist of six historical non-fiction books set to be revealed on Wednesday 21 April, and the winner announced on Wednesday 9 June.
A key date in the literary calendar, the Wolfson History Prize recognises outstanding works of historical non-fiction from the past year and is awarded annually to a work of historical writing that combines excellence in historical research with readability for a general audience.
Shining a light on the relevance of history and history writing to society today, the Wolfson History Prize is the most valuable non-fiction writing prize in the UK; £40,000 is awarded to the winner, with each shortlisted author receiving £4,000.
The Wolfson History Prize 2020 winner was David Abulafia for The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans. The 2020 shortlist was also made up of: John Barton’s A History of the Bible: The Book and its Faiths; Toby Green’s A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution; Prashant Kidambi’s Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire; Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper; and Marion Turner’s Chaucer: A European Life.
In its 49-year history, the Wolfson History Prize has awarded over £1.3 million to more than 100 historians, showcasing a huge variety of fascinating and eclectic books, and shining a light on the incredible breadth of historical writing being produced in the UK. Previous winners of the prize have included Mary Beard, Simon Schama, Eric Hobsbawm, Amanda Vickery, Antony Beevor, Christopher Bayly, and Antonia Fraser.
The Wolfson History Prize is run and awarded by the Wolfson Foundation, an independent charity that awards grants in the fields of science, health, heritage, humanities & the arts.
For media enquiries, please contact: Edwina Boyd-Gibbins or Ben McCluskey at Midas Public Relations on edwina.boyd-gibbins@midaspr.co.uk / ben.mccluskey@midaspr.co.uk
