Allen Lane dominates Wolfson History Prize shortlist

Six books spanning topics from the plague in Europe to a history of books and the history of African and Caribbean people in Britain have been shortlisted for the £50,000 Wolfson History Prize.

This year half of the shortlist is published by Penguin Random House imprint Allen Lane, including African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History by Hakim Adi, Resistance: The Underground War in Europe 1939-1945 by Halik Kochanski and Portable Magic: A History of Books and their Readers by Emma Smith.

Princeton University Press also has two books on the shortlist: The World the Plague Made: The Black Death and the Rise of Europe by James Belich and The Perils of Interpreting: The Extraordinary Lives of Two Translators between Qing China and the British Empire by Henrietta Harrison. Independent publisher Duckworth Books completes the shortlist with Vagabonds: Life on the Streets of Nineteenth Century London by Oskar Jensen. Each of the five shortlisted authors receives £5,000.

Historians Mary Beard and Sudhir Hazareesingh joined the judging panel this year, working alongside fellow judges Richard Evans, Carole Hillenbrand, Diarmaid MacCulloch and chair David Cannadine.

Cannadine said: “This year’s shortlist demonstrates the enduring power of history writing to shed light on the past, and also to bring new perspectives, empathy and nuance to our understanding of the present. The six titles cover a wide range of themes, from inequality to war and occupation and the effect of previous pandemics. Each book is commended because it is beautifully crafted, grounded in meticulous research and full of fascinating stories of people and places.”

Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: "The Wolfson Foundation supports education and research across a wide range of sectors. For over 50 years the Wolfson History Prize has been part of this mission, championing books that are carefully researched and well written.

“A common theme in this year’s shortlist is an exploration of how people and societies in the past have confronted fundamental, global issues: books with a distinct resonance for today’s challenges and preoccupations. We are delighted to share the 2023 shortlist, and celebrate books that bring new evidence, subjects and opinions alive for a wide audience.”

The overall winner of the Wolfson History Prize 2023 will be revealed at a ceremony in central London on Monday 13th November 2023.