LAURA SHANNON PRIZE IN CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN STUDIES
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Nomination Form for the 2026 Humanities Cycle (books published in 2023 and 2024)
Carrying a prize of $10,000, the Laura Shannon Prize is awarded annually to the author of the best book in European studies that transcends a focus on any one country, state, or people to stimulate new ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole. Each year, the Laura Shannon Prize will be given for a book published in one of two alternating fields:
I. Humanities
Philosophy, Theology, Cultural Studies, Modern Languages and Literatures, and the Arts.
II. History & Social Sciences
History, Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Law, Psychology, and Anthropology.
Jury
The winning book is selected by a final jury of five eminent scholars in European studies, three of whom will be prominent scholars serving at institutions other than the University of Notre Dame. The jury will be announced along with the winner.
Acceptance and Lecture
To receive the prize and its cash award, the author must deliver an original lecture at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of the award year. This lecture may be published by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.
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Rules and Eligibility
- Publication dates are determined by the date the book is published, not the copyright date printed in the book.
- Only publications in English are eligible.
- Books by current Notre Dame faculty members are not eligible for the Laura Shannon Prize.
- Authors may only win the Laura Shannon Prize once.
- Books on single countries will be considered so long as they have clear implications for thinking about Europe as a whole.
- Translations, anthologies, textbooks, self-published books, memoirs, fiction, poetry, screenplays, performances, posthumous works, edited collections, and books published in previous editions are ineligible. Critical editions are eligible.
- Multiple-author works, but not edited collections, are eligible. If a multiple-author book wins, the Prize money will be distributed equally among the authors, unless the authors unanimously agree otherwise. One author must visit Notre Dame to lecture and accept the Prize, as detailed below.
- Publishers may nominate up to three (3) books per imprint for each year’s competition and may submit rationales, reviews, and other relevant information for each entry. Authors may nominate their own books. Each nomination should be submitted with a completed nomination form and two (2) non-returnable copies of the nominated work. The nominating publisher or author also agrees to submit an additional six (6) books upon request if the nomination makes it to the shortlist in the review process.
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Non-returnable copies of books nominated for the Laura Shannon Prize must be submitted to the following address:
Laura Shannon Prize
Nanovic Institute for European Studies
1060 Nanovic Hall
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556-7000 USA
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A nominated book shall qualify for the Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European Studies only if:
- The author is informed that, if selected, he or she must present an original lecture at the University of Notre Dame and participate in events related to the award ceremony. The Nanovic Institute will provide the author with travel and accommodations. The lecture may also be published by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.
- The publisher or author agrees to submit an author’s photograph and biography and an image of the book cover, with permission to use them in promotional materials, if the author’s book makes the final short-list of books for the Laura Shannon Prize. Publishers agree to exercise their best efforts to sticker copies of the winning book (stickers will be provided by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies).
- The publisher and author agree that the decisions of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies will be final as to all matters, including eligibility, timeliness, and compliance with procedures and selection criteria.
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To nominate a book for this prize and to agree to the above terms, you will need information about the book, the author (address, contact information), the publisher (address, contact information), and reviews to attach (optional). If you have all the information available, the form should take 5 minutes to complete.
Information collected on this form may be used in promotional and other materials in connection with the Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European Studies. Contact information for the author and primary publisher are required on this form.
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The deadline for nomination forms for this Humanities cycle of the Laura Shannon Prize is February 28, 2025. Books may arrive within a reasonable time after this deadline. If you have questions about the delivery of the review copies or if they have been back-ordered, please contact LSPrize@nd.edu to address your situation.