British Academy Book Prize marks 10th anniversary with events

The £25,000 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with various activities and publications. 

To mark the milestone, the academy is planning a range of activities throughout the year around the global themes of the prize as part of its annual summer showcase in central London. The showcase will feature winning and shortlisted writers alongside judges from the past 10 years. The events will “facilitate conversations between key representatives from publishing and academia, and the publication of new writing drawing from those who have been involved in the prize over the last 10 years,” organisers said. 

The £25,000 award was established to recognise and celebrate books that contribute to public understanding of world cultures, to illuminate the interconnections and divisions that shape cultural identity worldwide, and to foster increased positive inter-cultural relations. 

The celebratory plans were announced today (31st January) as submissions opened with a deadline of 31st March 2022. 

Professor Patrick Wright from King’s College, London, is acting as this year’s chair of the jury. He said: “In the relatively short history of the prize, the British Academy has rewarded some fascinating books, each one telling us something new about the world and the way that our cultures interconnect. In this 10th year we are looking forward to reconnecting with the exceptional scholars and talented writers that the Prize has rewarded, and also reading and discussing the latest books that enable us to better understand the complexities of the world in which we live.” 

Wright will be joined by professor Madawi Al-Rasheed, visiting professor at the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics, as well as professor Catherine Hall from the Department of History, University College London; Fatima Manji, award-winning Channel 4 News broadcaster and journalist; and QC and writer Philippe Sands, who is also president of English PEN. 

The judges are looking for books that “demonstrate rigorous original and high-quality research, and are accessible and engaging to read". They will select a shortlist of up to six books to be announced in September, and the winner will be announced in October. 

Professor Julia Black, president of the British Academy, added: “The British Academy is the national academy for the humanities and social sciences and our book prize is a wonderful way of recognising exceptional works of non-fiction in these disciplines. We are honoured to be collaborating with such a distinguished jury for a second year to find, read and debate those books that the prize seeks to reward, and to be celebrating in this milestone year.” 

The British Academy Prize was awarded in 2021 to Sujit Sivasundaram for Waves Across the South: A New History of Revolution and Empire (William Collins). He will be in conversation with Wright in a free online event, hosted by the British Academy on 1st February.

For more information on the prize, visit the British Academy website.