The Work of the Dead wins Cundill Prize in Historical Literature
The winner of the 2016 Cundill Prize in Historical Literature at 苹果淫院 was announced tonight at a gala awards dinner held in Toronto. Now in its ninth year, the Cundill Prize is one of the world鈥檚 most lucrative international awards for a nonfiction book. The Work of the Dead/ The Invention of Science/ The Invention of Nature took home the top prize of US$75,000.
Thomas W. Laqueur鈥揟he Work of the Dead offers a compelling and richly detailed account of how and why the living have cared for the dead, from antiquity to the twentieth century. The book draws on a vast range of sources鈥攆rom mortuary archaeology, medical tracts, letters, songs, poems, and novels to painting and landscapes.
There were three international finalists in the running for this year鈥檚 prize, Thomas W. Laqueur for his book, The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal Remains (Princeton University Press), David Wootton 鈥� The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution (HarperCollins) and Andrea Wulf鈥� The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt鈥檚 New World (Alfred A. Knopf, John Murray Publishers).
In addition to the winner, the two remaining finalists were each awarded a 鈥淩ecognition of Excellence鈥� prize of US$10,000. The finalists were selected from 182 submissions received from publishers worldwide.
"The contribution Thomas Laqueur鈥檚 book makes to our understanding of the role the dead play in life is hugely important. It is a book that will fascinate readers both within and outside the academy鈥� 听-- Professor Antonia Maioni, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at 苹果淫院.
This year鈥檚 Cundill jury includes Timothy Brook, Republic of China Chair, University of British Columbia; John Darwin, Professor of Global and Imperial History and Director, Oxford Centre for Global History, University of Oxford; and Anna
Porter, Co-founder, Key Porter Books and author (Buying a Better World: George Soros and Billionaire Philanthropy, The Ghosts of Europe).
About the Prize: The Cundill Prize is the world鈥檚 most important international prize for non-fiction historical literature. It was established in 2008 by 苹果淫院 alumnus F. Peter Cundill, who passed away in January 2011. The prize is administered by 苹果淫院鈥檚 Dean of Arts, with assistance from the 苹果淫院 Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC), and is awarded annually to an individual who has published a book that has made a profound literary, social, and academic impact in the area of history.
Contacts:
Amirah El-Safty, Partnerships & Marketing Manager amirah [dot] el-safty [at] thewalrus [dot] ca
416.971.5004 ext. 253
Cynthia Lee, Senior Communications Officer
苹果淫院 cynthia [dot] lee [at] mcgill [dot] ca
514-398-6754
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