FIRST BOOK PRIZE 2018

One of the main aims of the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities is to give recognition and encouragement to early career achievement among scholars of the humanities working in Hong Kong. It is for this reason that the Academy has instituted an annual Prize for the best-submitted manuscript by a humanities scholar in the early stages of his or her career.

Eligibility and entry

1. The Prize may be given up to once each year for the best-submitted manuscript by an early career scholar [see paragraph 2 below] in any area of the humanities. All scholars in disciplines found in the Humanities and Creative Arts Unit of Assessments for the UGC RAE 2020 will be eligible.
2. An eligible manuscript will be the author’s first scholarly monograph and must be written in English.  Entries will be assessed for their originality, significance, and rigor.
3. An inclusive understanding of the humanities will be used to determine eligibility. Entries from scholars outside the standard disciplines [see paragraph 1 above] may be considered.  Such applicants should contact the Secretary to Chair of the Prize Committee, Ms. Cherry Yeung, and make a case for inclusion.
4. Manuscripts should be sent to cherry.yeung@polyu.edu.hk by January 31st, 2018 in both a .doc and .pdf file. Applicants should also complete the Springer Book Proposal Questionnaire provided and the statement requested in point 6 below.
5. Eligible scholars must be (1) Hong Kong residents holding a Hong Kong Identity Card and (2) appointees at or PhD graduates of a Hong Kong institution of higher education.
6. Manuscripts entered must be accompanied by a separate statement from the author providing details as to how, at the time of entry, he or she meets the eligibility requirements under paragraph 5 above.
7. All manuscripts will be read by scholars with specific expertise in the field of the entry. The winner will be announced in April or May 2018 and invited to give a short speech at the HKAH award ceremony.
8. The winner will be awarded a contract with Springer for the book to be published in The Humanities in Asia (THIA) series and will be required to make agreed upon revisions prior to publication. The contract must be signed before the award is given. In addition to the prize winner, the editors of THIA may also choose manuscripts of one or two finalists to be published subject to satisfactory revisions based on recommendations of the reviewers.