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The winner of this year’s Wolfson History Prize, awarded for excellence in accessible and scholarly history, has been announced as Dr Christopher de Hamel for his book Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts.

De Hamel, who receives the £40,000 prize, is Fellow and former librarian of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He was one of six authors shortlisted for the Prize earlier this year.

Awarded annually by the Wolfson Foundation for over forty years, the Wolfson History Prize has become synonymous with celebrating outstanding history. Established in 1972, it has awarded more than £1.1 million in recognition of the best historical writing being produced in the UK, reflecting qualities of both readability and excellence in writing and research.

Sir David Cannadine, Chair of the Prize Judges, said: “Christopher de Hamel's outstanding and original book pushes the boundaries of what it is and what it means to write history. By framing each manuscript of which he writes as the story of his own personal encounter with it, he leads the reader on many unforgettable journeys of discovery and learning. Deeply imaginative, beautifully written, and unfailingly humane, Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts distils a lifelong love of these astonishing historical treasures, which the author brings so vividly to life. It is a masterpiece.” 

Date awarded

22 May 2017

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