Exeter College Fellow shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize
Professor Nandini Das, Tutorial Fellow in English at Exeter College, has been shortlisted for this year’s Wolfson History Prize.
Now in its 52nd year, the Wolfson History Prize celebrates books that combine excellence in research with readability for a general audience. The most valuable history writing prize in the UK sees each shortlisted author receive £5,000 and the winner receive £50,000.
Spanning continents and centuries, the topical Wolfson History Prize shortlist brings new stories from history to light. This year it was selected by judges David Cannadine, Mary Beard, Richard Evans, Sudhir Hazareesingh, Carole Hillenbrand and Diarmaid MacCulloch. Their shortlist focuses on major turning points in the histories of the Americas, Britain, Bangladesh, Germany, India, Pakistan and South Africa, exploring themes ranging from politics, slavery and international relations to healthcare and societal transformation.
Professor Das is nominated for her book, Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire, which explores a watershed encounter in the history of colonialism, following Thomas Roe, James I’s first ambassador to the Mughal Empire, as a means of understanding the germination of the British empire. Courting India poses a profound challenge to our current understanding of the development of the culture of early British empire. As well as receiving considerable praise from literary critics, Professor Das’s book was shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize, shortlisted for the HWA Crown Awards, Longlisted for the Cundill History Prize and awarded the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global and Cultural Understanding.
The Wolfson History Prize winner will be announced on Monday 2 December, and Exeter College congratulates Professor Das on this nomination and the wider recognition her book has received.
You can read more about the Wolfson History Prize here and Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire is available to buy at Blackwell’s bookshop as well as other booksellers.
Front Cover of Courting India by Nandini Das
