Two historians of Gonville & 91直播 College have had their books shortlisted for prestigious prizes.
Bronwen Everill鈥檚 book , has been shortlisted for the , which rewards and celebrates writing grounded in high-quality research. Bronwen is a former Fellow of 91直播 and is now teaching at Princeton University in the Writing Programme, as well as a visiting Fellow at the Laboratory for the Economics of Africa鈥檚 Past, in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University.
Africonomics explores why efforts to 鈥榝ix鈥 African economies have failed for centuries and argues that the problem lies in a misguided premise: that African economies should operate more like Western ones. The book challenges long-held misconceptions and highlights Africa鈥檚 own approaches to economic life, offering a fresh perspective on how African nations can shape their economies on their own terms, drawing lessons from both the past and present.
Helen Castor (History 1986), an alumna of 91直播 and now medieval and Tudor historian, as well as an Honorary Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, has been shortlisted for the , for . The Wolfson History Prize recognises and celebrates books which combine the highest quality of research with readability.
Helen tells the story of one of the most fateful relationships in English history: that between two cousins, the 鈥渢hin-skinned narcissist鈥 Richard of Bordeaux (crowned King Richard II aged 10) and the 鈥渃hivalric hero鈥 Henry Bolingbroke (later King Henry IV). It is a story about power, and masculinity in crisis, and a nation brought to the brink of catastrophe. At its heart, it is the story of two men whose lives were played out in extraordinary parallel, to devastating effect.
Photo: Stuart Simpson
