A Kent professor's book on Northern Ireland has been shortlisted for the prestigious Christopher Ewart Biggs Memorial Prize.
The shortlisted book, Northern Ireland: the Reluctant Peace (Yale University 2013) was written by Feargal Cochrane, professor of international conflict analysis .
The Christopher Ewart Biggs Memorial Prize prize is awarded biennially to work published, performed or broadcast, that promotes peace and reconciliation in Ireland; greater understanding between the peoples of Britain and Ireland; or closer co-operation between partners in the European community.
The prize, worth £5,000, was set up in memory of Christopher Ewart-Biggs, British Ambassador to Ireland, who was assassinated by the Provisional IRA on 21 July 1976. The judging panel is chaired by Professor Roy Foster, Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford. The winner will be announced at a reception at the Irish Embassy, London, on 19 March 2015.
Northern Ireland: The Reluctant Peace has been reviewed by, among others, Cheryl Lawther in the Times Higher Education. She writes: ‘Taking a chronological approach, this book weaves its way from the earliest iterations of the conflict to the present day. This is not an aridly scholarly text or one overburdened by policy details. Rather, it carefully draws the reader into the complexities of the conflict and the peace process in a readable and accessible manner…. The expert, the interested or the simply curious will find much of value in this timely book.’
The full shortlist for the Ewart Biggs Prize 2013-14 is available on the Prize webpages. Further information on Northern Ireland: The Reluctant Peace can be found on the Yale webpages.