The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction has been suspended. At the February 12, 2024 meeting, the Board of Directors resolved to suspend the operations of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction. This action was taken at the recommendation of the Selection Committee. The problem is that we have had a recurrent and serious difficulty in acquiring and retaining initial readers. This year we had approximately 45 submissions, and this was somewhat lower than previously. However, we had readers for only the first few months of 2023, and there is no reason to believe this difficulty will be resolved, at least in the immediate future. This volume of books creates an extreme and unsustainable burden for our two-person Selection Committee to handle themselves. The Foundation will continue to award the Langum Prize in American Legal History and Biography and the Malott prize for Recording Community Activism. The original text describing this Prize is retained for historical purposes.
A prize to encourage and reward excellent American historical fiction is a natural element in our effort to make the rich history of America accessible to the educated general reader. The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. You may view the guidelines furnished to our readers and also used by the selection committee. Any press may publish the work, with the exceptions that the book may not be self-published or published by a press subsidized by the author.
A prize and $1,000 honorarium is awarded to the winner each year for the best book in American historical fiction published in the preceding year. Both the winner and the finalist also receive handsomely framed certificates. The novels must be submitted by December 1st of their year of first American publication. Novels that are published in the month of December are eligible and must be submitted for that year’s prize, but may be submitted by December 1st in advanced reading copies or proofs.