The Prizes

The current prize contest for best first book, will cover publications dated 2021-2023. Applications will open in spring 2023, with a submission deadline of 31 December 2023. The winner will be announced on 1 June 2024.

The first round for the best book covered publications dated 2016-2019, with the winner announced on 1 May 2020.

The second round, for the best first book, the The Wadjih F. al-Hamwi Prize for the Best First Book in Mediterranean Studies, covered publications dated 2016—2020, with the winners announced on 1 May 2021.

The third round, for the best source translation or edition or the best collection of essays relating to Mediterranean Studies, covered publications dated 2016–2021, with winners announced in spring 2022.

The fourth round, for best book,  covered publications dated 2020-2022, with the winner announced in June 2023.

The fifth round, for the best first book, the The Wadjih F. al-Hamwi Prize for the Best First Book in Mediterranean Studies, covered publications dated 2021—2023, with the winners announced on 1 May 2024.

The sixth round, or the best source translation or edition or the best collection of essays relating to Mediterranean Studies, covers publications dated 2022–2024, and runs to 31 December 2024.

Criteria
The entries submitted should reflect the goals and mission of the Mediterranean Seminar, namely, to promote the Mediterranean region as a framework for scholarly inquiry and pedagogy. See www.mediterraneanseminar.org for details.

We are most interested in books that break new ground conceptually or methodologically, are comparative and/or interdisciplinary, that emphasize the intercultural/interregional/inter-religious contact, that are “of” rather than merely “in” the Mediterranean. Although we focus on the pre- and Early Modern, books ranging from any period  will be considered. Books from any of the relevant Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines are welcome, including but not limited to all fields of history, art and material culture, literary and cultural studies, anthropology, and sociology. The Mediterranean is broadly construed as the region centered on the sea, but including connected hinterlands in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the western Indian Ocean, the Near East and Central Asia.

Contest Rules
Books submitted may include both scholarly and trade publications. Collections of essays and journal special editions are not eligible.
Only books in English are eligible. Books translated into English from other languages are eligible (publication date is considered to be the date first published in English)
Entries will include three copies of the book in question which are to be sent to the three judges, together with a statement of nomination (500 words maximum) either by the author or the nominating party. Book reviews and prize citations may be included as supporting material, and we encourage their submission.
To submit a book for consideration, click on the link in the announcement bar at the top of this webpage (if there is no active link, submissions are not currently being accepted).

Sponsorship
The Mediterranean Seminar/CUMSG is amenable to consider naming these prizes. If you are interested in potentially endowing one of the prizes please contact mailbox@mediterraneanseminar.org.

For inquiries please contact mailbox@mediterraneanseminar.org.