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Albert Hourani Book Award

The Albert Hourani Book Award was established in 1991 to recognize outstanding publishing in Middle East studies. The award was named for Albert Hourani to recognize his long and distinguished career as teacher and mentor. Announced at the Awards Ceremony at MESA’s annual meeting, the Albert Hourani Book Award recognizes the very best in Middle East studies scholarship.






2007 Award Recipients

Winner
Leor Halevi
Muhammad's Grave: Death RItes and the Making of Islamic Society
(Columbia University Press)


Winner
Jessica Winegar
Creative Reckonings:  The Politics of Art and Culture in Contemporary Egypt
(Stanford University Press)

Awardees 1991-2006

Announcing the Competition for the 2008 Award

The Middle East Studies Association is pleased to announce the competition for the 2008 Albert Hourani Book Award. Nominations will be accepted after the selection committee is in place, anticipated sometime in early 2008. Nominations can be made by either the publisher or the author. Although there is no limit on the number of titles that authors or publishers may submit, we ask that they exercise discretion in the selection of books nominated. Below is a list of criteria that should be met:

1. Books must be non-fiction scholarly monographs based on original research published in English between May 1, 2007 and April 30, 2008. Authors need not be members of MESA.

2. Subject matter must deal with the Middle East. Areas primarily of interest include Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Israel, Pakistan, and the countries of the Arab World from the seventh century to modern times. Spain, Southeastern Europe, the Soviet Union and other regions also are included for the periods in which their territories were part of the Middle Eastern empires or were under the influence of Middle Eastern civilization.

3. Works not eligible include edited collections and compilations, proceedings of symposia, new editions of previously published books, bibliographies, dictionaries, textbooks, and surveys.

4. Nominations must be made by May 8, 2008, with books delivered to the readers by May 15, 2008, or books will not be eligible for the competition.

The author of the winning book will receive $1000 and a certificate of award. Honorable mentions also receive a certificate of award. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony at MESA's 42nd annual meeting, November 22-25, in Washington, DC. As well, the results will be announced in the MESA Newsletter and in other publications as deemed appropriate by MESA.

TO NOMINATE A BOOK
Deadline: MAY 8, 2008

1. Send a letter of nomination and one copy of the book to the Award Coordinator at the MESA Secretariat.

Sara L. Palmer, Awards Coordinator
2008 Book Award Competition
Middle East Studies Association
1219 N Santa Rita Ave
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721
520-626-4753 (direct line)
520-626-9095 (fax)
palmers@email.arizona.edu

Please include the full title, author’s full name, publisher, and publication date of the book.

2. Send one copy of the book(s) to each of the five readers on the Book Award Committee listed below. Books must reach the readers
by May 15, 2008.

Eugene Rogan, Chair
The Middle East Centre
St Antony's College, University of Oxford
Oxford OX2 6JF
UK

Jamal Elias
Dept of Religious Studies
University of Pennsylvania
201 Logan Hall, 249 S. 36th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Ellen Lust-Okar
Dept of Political Science
Yale University
124 Prospect Street
New Haven CT -06511

Andrew Shryock (University of Michigan)
2947 Hickory Lane
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Kemal Silay (Indiana University)
716 Whitethorn Place
Bloomington, IN 47403