The shortlist for the Wolfson History Prize, has been announced, with half of those shortlisted being Oxford-based scholars.

This year’s shortlist includes: Bodleian Librarian Richard Ovenden’s exploration of the destruction of knowledge, Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack; Balliol College Fellow, Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh’s Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture, which shines a light on the life of the Haitian Revolution leader; and Oxford resident Judith Herrin’s Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe.

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This looks at how an Italian city shaped the culture of the Middle Ages.

Also on the shortlist are: Survivors: Children’s Lives after the Holocaust by Rebecca Clifford, Double Lives: A History of Working Motherhood by Helen McCarthy, and Atlantic Wars: From the Fifteenth Century to the Age of Revolution by Geoffrey Plank.

Chair of the judges and President of the British Academy, David Cannadine, said of the shortlist: “This year’s shortlist shows us that, despite the unprecedented challenges of the past year, the diversity and quality of history writing in the UK continues to endure.

"As judges we were absorbed and impressed by these six books and the commitment of their authors to uncover some of the lesser-known narratives of the past. It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the shortlist for 2021.”

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The prize will be announced on June 9, with the winner awarded £40,000, with each of the shortlisted authors receiving £4,000.