Cundill Prize receives double number of entries

The re-launched Cundill History Prize received double the number of entries compared to last year, it has been revealed.

Margaret MacMillan, Amanda Foreman, Roy Foster, Jeffrey Simpson and China Rana Mitter have also been revealed as judges of the $75,000 award which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Two runners up receive a Recognition of Excellence Award worth $10,000.

The prize recognises the “world’s most prominent champion of history writing” to bring a better public understanding of the past. A range of international trade and university presses applied from across the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean with entries totalling 330 titles.

For the first time this year, there will be a longlist of 10 to 12 titles announced in September with a shortlist of six revealed in October. The finalists and winner will be announced at the Cundill History Prize Gala in Montreal on November 16th.

Foreman described judging the prize as an “immense honour.” She said: “The current state of our world and the accompanying bewilderment felt by many is a powerful reminder that clear, compelling history is not just an asset, it is a necessity.”

Canada’s McGill University administers the prize and has commissioned a new brand identity for the 10th anniversary. It announced the relaunch in May and MacMillan, a professor at Oxford University, was announced as the chair of judges.

For more information, visit cundillprize.com.