The Society of American Historians' 70th Annual Francis Parkman Prize Competition to Honor Literary Merit in the Writing of American History is now accepting submissions.
Purpose: To encourage and recognize the writing of history as literature.
Prize: The prize, which includes a check for two thousand dollars, will be awarded at the Society's annual meeting in New York in May.
Eligibility: The Parkman Prize is awarded annually to a non-fiction book, including biography, that is distinguished by its literary merit and that makes an important contribution to the history of what is now the United States. The author need not be a citizen or resident of the United States, and the book need not be published in the United States. Textbooks, edited collections, bibliographies, reference works, and juvenile books are not eligible. The copyright date of the book must be 2026. Bound galleys or advance reader copies are acceptable as submissions.
Submission: There is no fee for participation and no formal entry form is required, but submitters must include their contact information--name, address, phone number, and email--with each book or parcel, or send it to the Society separately by email. Publishers, agents, and authors may submit as many titles as they wish. A physical copy of each book must be sent to each member of the prize committee with a mailing address listed below and electronic copies of each submission must be sent to [email protected] by December 1, 2026.
Further information: a list of previous Parkman Prize winners can be found here.
Inquiries to the Society: by email
The 2026 Parkman Prize committee:
Philip F. Gura
635 Cedar Club Circle
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Joe Jackson
3948 Shady Oaks Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Manisha Sinha
Department of History, University of Connecticut
241 Glenbrook Road, U-4103
Storrs, CT 06269-4103
Andrew Lipman, SAH Executive Secretary (ex officio)
Electronic copies only, sent to [email protected]
The Society of American Historians’ 66th Annual Allan Nevins Dissertation Prize in American History is now accepting submissions.
Purpose: To honor dissertations for literary distinction and for making a significant contribution to historical knowledge.
Prize: The prize, which includes a check for two thousand dollars and publication by one of our publisher members, will be awarded at the annual meeting of the society in New York in May.
Eligibility: The society defines history broadly and welcomes manuscripts on American arts, literature, and science, as well as biographical studies of Americans in any walk of life. The dissertation must have been defended between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026. Dissertations will be judged on the basis of literary merit as well as scholarly distinction. Dissertations already accepted for publication are not eligible for the Nevins prize.
Submission: Dissertations should be submitted by the chair of the department awarding the degree. Please submit a digital copy only in PDF form, and provide complete contact information for the author, including a telephone number and an email address that will be valid as of spring 2026. No formal nomination letter is required. No department may submit more than two dissertations.
Deadline: Dissertations should be submitted no later than December 31, 2026, to the Society by email.
Further information: A list of our publisher members and of previous Nevins Prize winners can be found here. Submission information is also posted on our website. Inquiries may be directed to the Society by email ([email protected])
The 19th Biennial Society of American Historians Prize for Historical Fiction
Purpose: To honor works of literary fiction on an American topic that significantly advance the historical imagination.
Prize: A certificate and two thousand dollars. The prize will be awarded at the Society's annual meeting in New York in May.
Eligibility: The SAH Prize for Historical Fiction will be awarded in odd-numbered years to a book of historical fiction on a subject involving what is now the United States that makes a significant contribution to historical understanding, portrays authentically the people and events of the historical past, and displays skills in narrative construction and prose style. The author need not be a citizen or resident of the United States, and the book need not be published in the United States. The copyright date of the book must be either 2025 or 2026; bound galleys or proof copies are acceptable as submissions.
Submission: There is no fee for participation and no entry form is required, but submitters must include their contact information--name, address, phone number, and email--with each book or parcel or send it separately by email. Publishers, agents, and authors may submit as many titles as they wish. They must send one copy of each book by December 1, 2026 to each of the three committee members. Additionally, we ask that submitters send an electronic copy of the title, preferably in PDF format, to the Society by email.
Further information: a list of previous winners can be found here.
Historical Fiction prize committee:
Richard Gid Powers
61 Colonel Enoch Drive
Carmel, NY 10512
Joan Rubin
Department of History, University of Rochester
362B Rush Rhees Library
P.O. Box 270070
Rochester, NY 14627
Jacinda Townsend Gides
2 Cranberry Drive
Hope, RI 02831
Andrew Lipman, SAH Executive Secretary (ex officio)
Electronic copies only, sent to [email protected]