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The Washington Institute Book Prize
“A war of ideas can no more be won without books than a naval war can be won without ships. Books, like ships, have the toughest armor, the longest cruising range, and mount the most powerful guns. I hope that all who write and publish and sell and administer books will rededicate themselves to the single task of arming the mind and spirit of the American people with the strongest and most enduring weapons.”
–President Franklin Roosevelt, in a letter to W. W. Norton, chairman of the Council on Books in Wartime, 1942
| Inaugural Book Prize Award Ceremony | |
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Access video and audio of Yaroslav Trofimov’s speech accepting the 2008 Washington Institute Book Prize Gold Award for The Siege of Mecca at a special ceremony in New York.
| About the Prize | |
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The future of America’s role in the world will be determined, in large measure, by the depth of its citizens’ knowledge and understanding of the Middle East. Books are the preferred form of expression for some of the most learned and informed scholars and observers of the region. In recent years, some influential works have profoundly shaped American ideas about the Middle East, affecting both policymakers in Washington, D.C., and interested observers throughout the country.
The Washington Institute Book Prize is awarded annually to three outstanding new books that have illuminated the Middle East for American readers. With this prize, The Washington Institute seeks to acknowledge the very best new works on the region and encourage authors and publishers to produce books of unique quality and insight.
The Washington Institute awards three prizes annually: a Gold Prize of $30,000, a Silver Prize of $15,000, and a Bronze Prize of $5,000. The selection of the winners is made by a distinguished jury, comprised of accomplished authors who are expert on the Middle East. Publishers may submit nonfiction books on any subject that bears on the modern Middle East or America’s role in the region. The nearest deadline for submissions is May 1, 2009, for awards made the following autumn.
| Past Prize Winers | |
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The 2008 Washington Institute Book Prize recipients were The Siege of Mecca by Yaroslav Trofimov (Gold Medal), Foxbats over Dimona by Isabella Ginor and Gideon Remez (Silver Medal), and Worlds at War by Anthony Pagden (Bronze Medal). To learn more about the 2008 recipients of the Washington Institute Book Prize, read the award announcement.
| Rules & Elegibility | |
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New books published in the United States for the first time in English between May 1, 2008, and May 1, 2009, are eligible for the prize.
For more details, read the complete prize rules.
| How to Enter | |
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Publishers should complete an entry form (PDF) and mail or fax it with the appropriate entry fee. Entry forms must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2009.
Download an entry form in PDF format.
| Deadline | |
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May 1, 2009: Official entry forms, entry fee, and six (6) copies of each book or bound galley entered must be postmarked by this date.
| Contact Information | |
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Publishers wishing clarification with regard to any of the rules should contact the prize administrator at the following address:
The Washington Institute Book Prize
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
1828 L Street, NW, Suite 1050
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 202-452-0650
Fax: 202-223-5364
