British Academy Book Prize Calls For Submissions

The British Academy Book Prize opens for submissions as the British Academy — the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences — announces plans to align the prize more closely with its mission to promote public understanding of our complex world.This year will see the introduction of a First Readers Panel whose knowledge and experience of engaging the public in the humanities and social sciences complements the existing judging panel.

The £25,000 Prize recognises outstanding books in the fields of the humanities and social sciences that combine original thinking, high-quality research and exceptional storytelling. As the British Academy looks ahead to its 125th anniversary in 2027, the Prize will place renewed emphasis on engaging wider audiences with subjects that are essential to understanding humanity and can change how we see today’s world.

The winner in 2025 was Sunil Amrith for The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years.

The winner of British Academy Book Prize will next be awarded in March 2027 and a shortlist of up to six books will be announced in January. Submissions are open from 18 March. The deadline for submissions is 30 April 2026.