Premio del Rey
Next Award Year: 2018
The American Historical Association awards the Premio del Rey biennially for a distinguished book in English in the field of early Spanish history. It was endowed by a gift of Robert I. Burns, SJ, from his Llull and Catalonia prizes and covers the medieval period in Spain’s history and culture CE 500–1516. See the list of past recipients. The general rules for submission are:
- The terms of the prize include works on Hispanic history and culture, including the Islamic and Jewish communities of medieval Spain as well as early New World topics prior to 1516.
- Only books of a high scholarly historical nature should be submitted. Research accuracy, originality, and literary merit are important factors.
- Books with a copyright of 2016 or 2017 are eligible for the 2018 award.
- Nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted.
- One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “Premio del Rey Entry.” Electronic copies may be sent to committee members who have indicated they will accept them.
Please Note: Entries must be received by May 15, 2018, to be eligible for the 2018 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2018 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2019 AHA annual meeting in Chicago.
For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.
The deadline for this year’s submissions has passed. Review committee contact information and the prize submission form for the next prize year will be posted by March 31.
2014 Premio del Rey
Janina Safran, Pennsylvania State Univ.
Defining Boundaries in al-Andalus: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Islamic Iberia (Cornell Univ. Press)
Safran’s book explores complex issues of ethno-religious identity and communal relations in al-Andalus after the eighth-century Muslim conquest and the implications of the elaboration and maintenance of community boundaries. Using complicated juridical texts, Safran traces how conversion, intermarriage, and acculturation complicated rigid notions of Islamic and non-Islamic identity and reveals the contingent and shifting nature of ethno-religious identity. It is a compelling and sophisticated book with applications beyond al-Andalus and Islamic world.