Nov. 10, 2004

 

Dear Author or Publisher:

 

The Berkshire Conference First Book Prize is one of the most prestigious book prizes in historical studies today. It carries with it a $1000 award to the author. The prize is for a first book in any field of history written by a woman who is normally a resident in North America. Books need not focus on women's history, and many past winners have not. Only books published in 2004 (as indicated on the title page or the reverse side of the title page) will be considered. There are no exceptions to this rule. The following categories are not eligible for consideration: textbooks, juveniles, documentary collections, or collections of essays.

If you are the author of a book that might qualify for the prize, please direct your publisher to submit ONE COPY of your book directly to the address listed below. If you are a publisher we urge you, if you have not already done so, to review your list and submit entries soon. Presses may submit multiple entries. The deadline for submitting entries is January 15, 2005.

 

Please send one copy of the book to:

Ellen Du Bois

Department of History

Box 951473

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1473

 

Please note that this year we are requesting one copy of the book for the first round. Presses are not required to send a nomination letter, but each press must include a cover letter indicating that the book or books are prize submissions, and bearing the name, telephone number and e-mail of the prize coordinator or some other responsible member of the staff. If your press's book reaches the shortlist we will contact you and ask that you submit another four (4) copies.

 

The 2004 award will be announced in a full-page advertisement in Perspectives, the newsletter of the American Historical Association. It has been customary for the publisher of the award-winning book to defray the expenses of the Perspectives ad. For more information on the book prize please contact Ellen Carol DuBois via email at edubois@history.ucla.edu .

 

Sincerely,

 

Vicki L. Ruiz

President