We are delighted to announce that the WHN has teamed up with the Women’s History Association of Ireland to offer a joint annual book prize which awards £500 for an author’s first single-authored monograph in women’s or gender history. Entries close on 31 July 2026.

Criteria for eligibility are as follows:

• The book must make a significant contribution to women’s history or gender history.
• The book must be written in English.
• The book must have been published in the UK or Ireland between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.
• The book must be the author’s first single-authored monograph. Authors who have written monographs in other subjects or historical disciplines are not eligible.
• The candidate should be a member either of the Women’s History Network (UK) or the Women’s History Association of Ireland or both.
• The candidate should have been resident in the UK or Ireland, or affiliated to a UK or Irish institution, for the previous three years.
• The candidate or publisher must be willing to arrange for four physical copies of the book to be sent directly to the judges.
• The winner should be able to attend the WHN or WHAI Annual Conference to receive their award in 2027. (The WHN/WHAI will cover the cost of UK/Irish rail travel to the Conference venue. There may also be the opportunity to join virtually.)
• The winner will be expected to write a contribution for the WHN and WHAI blog and otherwise engage in promotional activity for the two organisations.
• Current members of the WHN Steering Committee or the WHAI executive are not eligible to enter the competition.

Candidates or publishers should contact bookprize@womenshistorynetwork.org for details of where to send the books, which should be received by the closing date.