Winston Graham Historical Prize relaunched!

Royal Cornwall Museum has announced the national relaunch of the Winston Graham Historical Prize, a literary prize for ‘a work of historical fiction with a powerful sense of place’, to be awarded in March 2024.

The prize was first established in 2008, thanks to a legacy from the author of the Poldark series, Winston Graham. It was originally awarded for a work of historical fiction set in Cornwall or the South West, however this year Royal Cornwall Museum have decided to relaunch the prize nationwide.

Charlotte Hobson, author and Chair of the judges says: “We want to do justice to the generosity of Winston Graham by opening the entries up to the widest and most diverse historical fiction that the UK and Ireland have to offer and rewarding the very best that’s being written today.

“In celebration of Poldark’s unforgettably vivid depiction of Cornwall, we’ve decided to focus particularly on historical fiction that excels in conjuring a specific place or places.”

The panel of judges will include prize-winning author Louis de Bernières, director of Bookshaped Colin Midson, and the author Charlotte Hobson as Chair.

Hobson says: “We are so excited to be launching the Winston Graham Historical Prize 2024. By carrying out Winston Graham’s legacy with this award, we look forward to celebrating his work by highlighting great pieces of historical fiction around the UK.”

The prize consists of £3000 to the winning author, to be presented at an Awards Evening which will take place at Royal Cornwall Museum in March, 2024. Submissions close on Tuesday 7 November 2023 and applicants can apply online.