Literary award · Canada · since 1989

Lionel Gelber Prize

English literary award. Established 1989 in Canada.

About Lionel Gelber Prize

The Lionel Gelber Prize is a literary award for English non-fiction books on foreign policy. Founded in 1989 by Canadian diplomat Lionel Gelber, the prize honors "the world's best non-fiction book in English on foreign affairs that seeks to deepen public debate on significant international issues." A prize of CA$50,000, is awarded to the winner. The award is presented annually by the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto. Recipients are judged by an international jury of experts. In 1999, The Economist called the award "the world's most important award for non-fiction". Past winners have included, Lawrence Wright, Jonathan Spence, David McCullough, Kanan Makiya, Michael Ignatieff, Eric Hobsbawm, Robert Kinloch Massie, Adam Hochschild (a two-time winner), Robert Skidelsky, Baron Skidelsky, Walter Russell Mead, Chrystia Freeland, and Steve Coll.

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

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2018Anne Applebaum—
2016Scott Shane—
2015Serhii Plokhy—
2013Plutocrats—
2013Chrystia Freeland—
2012Ezra Vogel—
2009Lawrence Freedman—
2008Paul Collier—
2007Lawrence WrightThe Looming Tower
2004Steve Coll—
2003Ivo Daalder—
2003James M. Lindsay—
2002Walter Russell Mead—
2001Robert Skidelsky—
2000Patrick Tyler—

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

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Lionel Gelber 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