Beard and Hazareesingh to judge Wolfson Prize

Sudhir Hazareesingh and Mary Beard are to join the judging panel for the Wolfson Prize 2023, the most valuable history writing prize in the UK, as the award opens for publisher submissions.

Now entering its 51st year, the annual prize awards a total of £75,000. The winner receives £50,000, and each of the five shortlisted authors receives £5,000. This year also sees a new timeline for the prize, with both the shortlist and winner announced in autumn 2023, with dates to be confirmed.

The leading historians will join Richard Evans, Carole Hillenbrand, Diarmaid MacCulloch and David Cannadine (chair), who will whittle down the best historical non-fiction writing in the UK from the past year to a shortlist of six books, from which one winner will be selected.

Beard, who was awarded the Wolfson History Prize in 2009 for her book, Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town (Profile), said: “I am absolutely delighted to become a judge of the Wolfson History Prize. It’s a prize that celebrates history writing that is both of the highest academic quality and accessible – and we need that more than ever.”

Hazareesingh, author of Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture (Penguin) which won the Wolfson History Prize in 2021, added: “I am thrilled to join the judges for the Wolfson History Prize, Britain’s most distinguished history award. It champions the best kind of writing about the past, which captivates our imagination, encourages us to lift our gaze from the immediate present, and connect with the wider world.”

The prize is open for submissions, and publishers are invited to submit their catalogues for consideration, with a deadline of 31st January. Alongside their submission, publishers can highlight up to six suggested books, per imprint, from the catalogues that the judges may wish to consider.

Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: "Following our 50th anniversary celebrations in 2022, we are delighted to welcome two new judges to the fold. Mary Beard and Sudhir Hazareesingh are not only experts in their respective fields, but also live the values of the prize’s aim of bringing history alive for a wide audience. We very much look forward to celebrating the books that they and our panel of judges choose."

"In 2023 the Wolfson History Prize will continue to highlight the books that bring new evidence, subjects and opinions to light, while engaging new readers in history writing. As we open submissions to publishers, we anticipate this year’s entries being as fascinating and far-reaching as ever.”

To be eligible, books must cover any aspect of history and be published in English in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2022. Authors should be resident in the UK in the year of publication, and provided they meet the residency qualification, they can be any nationality. Authors who have previously won the Wolfson History Prize are not eligible to be submitted again.

Authors who have been shortlisted in previous years, but not named as an overall winner, are eligible. There is no fee for submitting catalogues for the prize. Submissions must be received by 31st January 2023.

Books are judged on the extent to which they are carefully researched, well-written and accessible to the non-specialist reader. Previous winners include Antony Beevor, Antonia Fraser, Mary Fulbrook and Clare Jackson.