Professor Emma Smith shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize

5 September 2023

We are very excited to announce that English Fellow Professor Emma Smith, Hertford’s Fellow Librarian and Archivist, and Pro-Principal, has been shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize. Celebrating the best historical non-fiction books from the past year, the Wolfson History Prize is the UK’s most prestigious history writing prize. Professor Smith has been nominated for her book Portable Magic: A History of Books and their Readers.

An exciting history of books and their power over us, Portable Magic explores the unexpected and unseen consequences of our love affair with books. It dismantles the myth that print began with Gutenberg, reveals how our reading habits have been shaped by American soldiers, and proposes a new definition of a ‘classic’. Portable Magic illuminates the ways in which our relationship with books is more reciprocal – and more turbulent – than we tend to imagine.

To find out more about the prize and learn about the other shortlisted authors, visit the Wolfson History Prize website – and follow @WolfsonHistory for the latest updates.