The , part of the at the University of Notre Dame, has awarded the 2026 Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European 91视频 to Eric Calderwood, professor of comparative and world literature at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, for his book聽 published by Harvard University Press.
罢丑别听 is a preeminent prize within the field of European studies. It is awarded each year to the book that best transcends a focus on any one country, state or people, stimulating new ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole. This year鈥檚 award cycle considered books in the humanities published in 2024 and 2025. A of finalists was previously announced in November 2025.
2026 Laura Shannon Prize final jury statement
Each year, the prize recipient is selected by a jury of accomplished scholars. The 2026 jury included , professor and chair of the Department of the History of English and Translation 91视频 at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin;聽, the John Stewart Bryan Professor at the University of Virginia; , professor of Spanish at the University of Notre Dame;聽, professor of German studies at the University of Notre Dame; and聽, the George Steiner Professor of Comparative Literature at the Queen Mary University of London.
In its statement, the final jury commended Calderwood for setting a 鈥渘ew standard for interpreting the ongoing relevance of our foundational political and cultural histories.鈥澛�
The jury also lauded Calderwood for his eloquent historiographical achievement for a range of fields, as well as the book鈥檚 ability to remain strikingly relevant to our current historical crossroads.
鈥淚t represents the very best of the critical perspectives from the peripheries of Europe: a story emerging from the Western edge of Europe, traveling around the Mediterranean, only to rearticulate its cultural and political challenges in the space-in-between Europe and its essentially migrant history,鈥� they wrote.
鈥淚n this, it amply offers, in the words of the Shannon Prize, 鈥榥ew ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole,鈥� decentering the continent as the provenance of any single cultural, aesthetic or religious tradition. 鈥� At a moment when powerful voices are agitating in favor of univocal, hierarchical and ultimately fictional 鈥榮hared traditions鈥� of Europe, Calderwood provides a response of literal and material shared histories whose contemporary expressions demonstrate multiplicity and defy any neat historical or geographical unities,鈥� the jury stated.
The jury concluded by saying that the book is 鈥淓uropean studies at its best in that it aligns effortlessly and traces in admirable depth cultural, political and religious histories, while at the same time examining their relevance for a wider Europe.鈥�
Prize lecture to be held next academic year
The prize will be officially conferred during a public lecture and award ceremony, which will be scheduled during the 2026-27 academic year. The Nanovic Institute will share this date when it has been finalized.
The Laura Shannon Prize has a 17-year history of recognizing high-quality scholarship in European studies. It was made possible by a generous endowment from Laura Shannon (1939-2021) and her husband, Michael, a member of the Notre Dame class of 鈥�58. Laura Shannon joined the Nanovic Institute鈥檚 advisory board in 2003 and faithfully served for many years. Her professional career involved work in social services and family court mediation, and she was a frequent visitor to Europe, where she developed her French language skills. Her daughters, Claire Shannon Kelly and Katie Shannon, continue their parents鈥� legacy as current members of the institute鈥檚 advisory board.
In recent years, the prize has become a critical way to promote ongoing academic partnerships between the institute and leading scholars in European studies. A few key examples include:
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2019 and 2020 recipients and joined the institute鈥檚 graduate workshop in Ireland on academic storytelling in August 2022.
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2021 recipient keynoted the institute鈥檚 in March 2023 and returned to a seminar on storytelling from the margins in August 2025.
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2022 recipient co-led a working group with the Nanovic Institute beginning in 2025.
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2023 recipient served as a Nanovic Institute research affiliate and external reviewer.
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2024 recipient returned to Notre Dame for its in March 2025 and as a visiting professor in the 2025-26 academic year.
are currently open through March 31 for the 2027 Laura Shannon Prize, focused on books within history and the social sciences published in 2024 or 2025. Authors and publishers may submit nominations.
The Nanovic Institute for European 91视频 is part of the University of Notre Dame鈥檚 Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs. The Laura Shannon Prize is one way it contributes to the intellectual, cultural and research aims of the school, bringing renowned scholars from around the globe to campus and integrating them into coursework, public events and research projects. It forms a critical bridge between Notre Dame and Europe, enriching the reach of this global University.
For more information about the Nanovic Institute and the Laura Shannon Prize (including ), visit .
Originally published by at on March 4.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu