Literary award · United States · since 2002

Bastiat Prize

Journalism award. Established 2002 in United States.

About Bastiat Prize

The Bastiat Prize was a journalism award given annually by the Reason Foundation. In 2011 and before it was given by the International Policy Network. The Bastiat Prize recognized journalists whose published works "explain, promote and defend the principles of the free society." The award came with US$15,000. Instituted in 2002, the Prize was inspired by the 19th-century French philosopher Frédéric Bastiat and his defense of liberty. Bastiat's use of satire and allegory enabled him to relate complex economic issues to a general audience. In keeping with his legacy, Bastiat Prize entries were judged on intellectual content, the persuasiveness of the language used, and the type of publication in which they appeared. Judges included Margaret Thatcher, James Buchanan, and Milton Friedman.

From the Wikipedia article “Bastiat Prize”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2018Bari Weiss—
2016Tim Harford—
2015Amit Varma—
2013Ross Clark—
2011Virginia Postrel—
2010Bret Stephens—
2009Daniel Hannan—
2007Amit Varma—
2006Tim Harford—
2006Jamie Whyte—
2005Mary O'Grady—
2004Robert Guest—
2003Brian Carney—

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Bastiat Prize for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data