Duff Cooper Prize
だふ・くーぱーしょう
A British literary prize awarded annually for outstanding non-fiction published in English or French, covering history, biography, travel writing, politics, poetry and literary criticism. Established in 1956, winners receive a first edition of Old Men Forget, £5,000 and a magnum of Pol Roger Champagne.
- Established
- 1956
- Organizer
- Duff Cooper Memorial Fund (registered charity 313572). Sponsor: Pol Roger (since 2013)
- Category
- Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
- Selection Method
- Selection
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Status
- Active
Description
The Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize is a British literary prize established in 1956 by the Duff Cooper Memorial Fund (registered charity 313572), created in memory of Alfred Duff Cooper (1890–1954), British statesman, diplomat and author. Awarded annually for the best work published in English or French across history, biography, travel and nature writing, politics, poetry and literary criticism, the prize is judged by a panel of five, two of whom serve ex officio: the Warden of New College, Oxford and a member of the Duff Cooper family. Winners receive a first edition of Duff Cooper's autobiography Old Men Forget and a cheque for £5,000. Since 2013, Pol Roger has sponsored the prize, also providing Champagne for the annual award ceremony held at New College.
Prize
- Main Prize
- First edition of Duff Cooper's autobiography Old Men Forget and cash prize
- Cash Prize
- 5,000 GBP
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment of judges | Duff Cooper Prize Trust appoints 5 judges. Of these, 2 are ex officio (Warden of New College, Oxford and Duff Cooper's family representative), and the remaining 3 are appointed by the trust for a 5-year term. Current appointed judges include Mark Amory, Susan Brigden, and David Horspool. | — | — |
| Evaluation of candidate works | The above 5 judges review and discuss eligible works published in English or French. | — | — |
| Decision and announcement of the winning work | Panel of judges | — | Announced on the official website and through press/media |
Criteria
- Belongs to history, biography, political science, or occasionally poetry
- Published in English or French
- High academic and literary value
- A single-authored monograph (significant work) published in the relevant year
Related Awards
- List of history awards
- Prizes named after people
- British literary awards
- Biography awards
- Political book awards