2027 Competition

The Richard Rawlinson Center at Western Michigan University announces the eighth Paul E. Szarmach Prize, to be awarded in May 2027. It consists of an award of $500 to the author of a first article on a topic in the culture and history of early medieval England published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal that is judged by the selection committee to be of outstanding quality.

The Prize, instituted by the International Advisory Board of the center in 2017, honored and since 2021 memorializes Szarmach for his role in the early development of the center, both as director of WMU’s Medieval Institute and on the center’s board.

Eligibility

Authors from any country and articles written in any language are eligible. To be eligible for the 2027 prize, the article must have appeared in a journal bearing a publication date of 2025. The selection committee considers "first article" in the broadest possible terms, and an antecedent publication, depending upon its nature, will not necessarily compromise eligibility. All articles that might be considered eligible should be nominated.

Nomination

Nominations and self-nominations are invited from authors, editors, and readers.

Submission

The deadline for nominations is November 1, 2026. A nomination comprises:

• Completed online nomination form
• Letter of nomination or self-nomination
• Curriculum vitae of the author
• PDF of the nominated article