The Czechoslovak Studies Association offers a biennial award for the Best Book in the Field of Czechoslovak Historical Studies.
To be eligible for consideration, books must be published in 2023 or 2024, and primarily concerned with the history of Czechoslovakia, its predecessor and successor states, or any of its peoples within and without its historical boundaries. The field of historical studies will be broadly construed, with books in all fields considered for the prize if they are substantially historical in nature. The prize committee will decide whether a book matches these criteria. Books under consideration must be new works by a single author written originally in the English language.
To be eligible, you must be a member of the CSA. If you are uncertain about your membership status, please contact CSA Treasurer Zachary Doleshal at zad007@SHSU.EDU. Authors are responsible for providing the committee with the book they wish to enter the competition. Books for consideration should be submitted to committee chair no later than June 30, 2025. If you would like to send hard copies, please send a copy to each of the committee members listed below. You can also send an electronic copy to chair of the committee Marta Filipová at 16411@muni.cz.
The current award is $400
Many thanks to the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas, Austin, which has sponsored this prize.
Current Committee Members
Dr Marta Filipová (chair)
Department of Art History
Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University
Arna Nováka 1
Brno 602 00
Czech Republic
Dr Felix Jeschke
Historisches Seminar der LMU München
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1
80539 München
Germany
Jesse Siegel
Department of History, Rutgers University
16 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ, 08901
USA
BOOK PRIZE REGULATIONS
- The prize will be awarded in alternate years to the best book among eligible submissions published in a prior two-year period. The competition for this prize will be held alternately with the competition for the Stanley Z. Pech Prize.
- The monetary amount of the award will be $400 with adjustments possible by vote of the membership.
- A prize committee of three CSA members will select the winning entry. One member of the committee will be designated as chair. The CSA president will appoint the committee. Authors are responsible for supplying the committee with the book they wish to enter in the competition.
- To be eligible for consideration, books must be primarily concerned with the history of Czechoslovakia, its predecessor and successor states, or any of its peoples within and without its historical boundaries. The field of historical studies will be broadly construed, with books in all fields considered for the prize if they are substantially historical in nature. The prize committee will decide whether a book matches these criteria. Books under consideration must be new works by a single author written originally in the English language. The competition will be open to members and non-members of the CSA.
- The decision of the prize committee is final. If the committee members agree that more than one book should share the prize, the monetary award will be divided evenly among the prize recipients. If the committee judges that no submission is worthy of the prize, no prize will be awarded. The decision of the prize committee is final. If the committee members agree that more than one book should share the prize, the monetary award will be divided evenly among the prize recipients. If the committee judges that no submission is worthy of the prize, no prize will be awarded.
- The CSA Executive Committee will undertake fund-raising for the prize directly, or via a committee they appoint. The Secretary-Treasurer of the CSA will manage the prize fund.
- The CSA Executive Committee authorizes the CSA to donate $500 from its operating funds to lay the foundation for the prize fund. Future donations from the CSA operating fund will be contingent upon a separate vote of the membership.