ISSR has successfully held an annual book prize for the last two years, and we are pleased to announce that our third year’s Book Prize is now open for nominations. Although the challenges of COVID-19 continue to impact the awarding of Prizes, we presented last year’s award winners online and hosted a conversation with them which is live on our YouTube channel for you to view. Thanks to a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, we continue into our third year, seeking the three best books in the field of “Science and Religion.”
The intention of the Prize is to understand ‘religion’ broadly and to seek for excellence in both content and communication. We will seek to reward books that make a major contribution to the field, especially if they have the potential to take the field into new directions. We expect that three books will be awarded each year: one suitable for a general audience (‘the public’), one for an academic audience, and one for a professional audience (e.g. ministers/pastors, school teachers, etc.).
Each year three financial prizes of £500 will be awarded to the winning authors (the financial prize will be shared if a co-authored title wins). The prize is to be presented to the winning authors at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). However, due to COVID this has changed to an online discussion format. Should travel be possible this year, the costs of the winners’ travel to, and accommodation at, AAR will be paid. The prizes will be announced publicly and awarded at an ISSR reception at that meeting or online, and there will also be a dinner party for the winners and leading members of the Society if/when such a gathering is possible.
ISSR now invites nominations for the 2022 prizes.
This year’s nomination eligibility will be books with a publication date of 2020 or 2021. Edited books and books written by more than two authors are not eligible. Books may be written in any language. More than one title from the same author(s) may be nominated. Self nominations and nominations from publishers are welcome.
The title(s) and author(s) of nominated books should be sent to ISSR Administrator, Anthony K Nairn. We ask that if you are self-nominating that you prepare to send the book(s) in hard copy (six copies are needed). However, if circumstances prevent physical copies from being sent we may accept PDF copies. (Note: hard copies are required for final round review.)
Please send your nominations to me no later than 01 March. Requests for copies will be made on a rolling basis but must be received no later than 15 March 2021.
Please feel free to share this call for nominations widely.
