The Cundill History Prize

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The Cundill History Prize

The prestigious international Cundill History Prize recognizes and rewards the best history writing in English.

Peter Cundill wished to recognize and promote literary and academic achievement in history. In 2008, he established the Cundill Prize in Historical Literature at McGill (Cundill Prize) to be offered each year by McGill University to an individual, of any nationality and from any country, who has published a book determined to have had (or likely to have) a profound literary, social and academic i

mpact in the area of history. The University will grant one Grand Prize of US$75,000 and two ‘Recognition of Excellence’ Prizes of US$10,000 each. The recipients of the Prizes will be selected by an independent jury of at least five internationally distinguished and qualified individuals selected by the University. Jury members will be allowed to serve up to two years. In order to be eligible, the author will have published a book in English (or a book that has been translated to English) in the area of history. The book (original or translation) must have been published within the following dates: June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017.

04/30/2026

Announcing the 2026 Cundill History Prize jury! ✨

Leading international historians Ned Blackhawk, Emily Greenwood and Barbara Weinstein (), and award-winning journalist Fergal Keane (.keane.3), join chair Timothy Brook to complete the 2026 Cundill History Prize jury.

Together, they will spend the summer reading, meeting and debating, as they deliberate who will ultimately win the US$75,000 prize, administered by .

For more details on the jury and the 2026 Prize, click the website link in our bio.

02/25/2026

We are delighted to announce Professor Timothy Brook, Canadian historian of China and the Ming dynasty, will chair the 2026 jury for the US$75,000 Cundill History Prize.

“I am very pleased to have been appointed to the Cundill History Prize committee. Deeply committed to seeing publishers produce great books on history, I am delighted to be part of this project, which draws the attention of the public to the best books in our field.”

Who will be the next winner of the $75,000 ?

Submissions for the 2026 Cundill History Prize are open until this Friday, February 27!

Open to works of non-fiction published in English from any country in the world, regardless of the nationality or place of residence of their authors. Translations are warmly welcomed.

For more information on the submissions process, visit the link in our bio.

HistoryBooks

02/03/2026

Who will be the next winner of the $75,000 ?

There’s one month to go until submissions close for the 2026 Cundill History Prize on Friday, February 27! Open to works of non-fiction published in English from any country in the world, regardless of the nationality or place of residence of their authors. Translations are warmly welcomed.

For more information on the submissions process, visit the link in our bio.

01/19/2026

Who will be the next winner of the $75,000 ?

Submissions for the 2026 Cundill History Prize are now open until Friday, February 27! Open to works of non-fiction published in English from any country in the world, regardless of the nationality or place of residence of their authors. Translations are warmly welcomed.

For more information on the submissions process, visit the link in our bio.

11/20/2025

Missing the Cundill History Prize?

Delve back into the research of this year’s finalists with their essential book list recommendations, published by our terrific partners Literary Hub.

📚‘The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe’ by Marlene L. Daut, published by Alfred A. Knopf.

📚‘Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War’ by Lyndal Roper, published by John Murray Press / Basic Books.

📚‘The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life’ by Sophia Rosenfeld, published by Princeton University Press.

Find out more about this year’s finalist and winner on our website.

11/13/2025

We’re looking back at the Gala where Lyndal Roper was announced as our 2025 winner for ‘Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War’, published by / ! ✨

It was a fantastic evening joined by our brilliant jurors Ada Ferrer (), Sunil Amrith (), François Furstenberg, Afua Hirsch () and Francesca Trivellato as well as our wonderful finalists Marlene L Daut and Sophia Rosenfeld.

Head to our website to find out more about our winner Lyndal Roper: https://www.cundillprize.com/news/lyndal-roper-wins-2025-cundill-history-prize-for-summer-of-fire-and-blood

10/31/2025

The winner of the 2025 is…

Lyndal Roper for ‘Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War’, published by / .

A “sensational” account of the sixteenth-century uprising that shook Europe to its core.

The first history of the German Peasants’ War in a generation, told through the voices of the peasants themselves, Summer of Fire and Blood uncovers the far-reaching ramifications of this doomed rebellion.

2025 Chair of the Jury Ada Ferrer said: “At the centre of her history are the peasants themselves. Roper traces the emergence, unfolding and eventual undoing of the rebellion and offers a vivid and compelling portrait of the peasants’ world. Through this lens, she delivers a history of the Reformation from the ground up—as it was lived and understood by the ordinary people, who often interpreted its message as far more radical than envisioned by its architects. Her analysis is stunning and multifaceted, seamlessly weaving together cultural, intellectual, social, economic and religious history into a rich and engaging narrative.”

10/31/2025

The winner of the 2025 is…

Lyndal Roper for ‘Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War’, published by John Murray Press / Basic Books.

A “sensational” account of the sixteenth-century uprising that shook Europe to its core.

The first history of the German Peasants’ War in a generation, told through the voices of the peasants themselves, 'Summer of Fire and Blood' uncovers the far-reaching ramifications of this doomed rebellion.

2025 Chair of the Jury Ada Ferrer said: “At the centre of her history are the peasants themselves. Roper traces the emergence, unfolding and eventual undoing of the rebellion and offers a vivid and compelling portrait of the peasants’ world. Through this lens, she delivers a history of the Reformation from the ground up—as it was lived and understood by the ordinary people, who often interpreted its message as far more radical than envisioned by its architects. Her analysis is stunning and multifaceted, seamlessly weaving together cultural, intellectual, social, economic and religious history into a rich and engaging narrative.”

10/30/2025

Today’s the day! ✨

Let’s take a final look back at this year’s exceptional finalists ahead of the winner announcement this evening.

📚‘The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe’, by Marlene L. Daut, published by .

📚‘Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War’ by Lyndal Roper, published by / .

📚‘The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life’ by Sophia Rosenfeld, published by .

Stay tuned to our social media tonight to find out who the jurors have chosen as the winner of the 2025 .

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