The Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize was created in 1977, in memory of

Christopher Ewart-Biggs Christopher Thomas Ewart Ewart-Biggs, (5 August 1921 – 21 July 1976) was the British Ambassador to Ireland, an author and senior Foreign Office liaison officer with MI6. He was killed in 1976 by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in ...

, British Ambassador to Ireland, who was assassinated by the

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...

in 1976. Founded by his Widow Jane Ewart-Biggs (following her death, the literary prize is currently administered jointly by their 3 children) following the death of her husband, its stated goal is to promote peace and reconciliation in Ireland, a greater understanding between the peoples of the United Kingdom and Ireland, or closer co-operation between partners of the

European Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

now known as the EU. It is awarded to a book, a play or a piece of journalism that best fulfills this aim, published during a two-year period up to December 31 of the year preceding the year in which the prize is awarded. The value of the biennially awarded literary prize is currently set at £7500, an increase on the original £5000 award of 1977.

Past winners

The years of publication/broadcast for which the prize was awarded is given. In earlier years the Prize was identified by the year of award, but the official website now gives year of publication/broadcast. * 1978:

A. T. Q. Stewart Anthony Terence Quincey Stewart (8 July 192916 December 2010), known professionally as A. T. Q. Stewart or Tony Stewart, was a Northern Irish historian, teacher and academic, and a best-selling author on the subject of the politics of Ulster and N ...

, ''The Narrow Ground: Aspects of Ulster 1609-1969'' * 1978: Mícheál Mac Gréil, ''Prejudice and Tolerance in Ireland'' * 1979:

Stewart Parker James Stewart Parker (20 October 1941 – 2 November 1988) was a Northern Irish poet and playwright. Biography He was born in Sydenham, Belfast, of a Protestant working-class family. His birthplace is marked by an Ulster History Circle blue ...

, ''I'm A Dreamer, Montreal'' * 1979: Dervla Murphy, ''

A Place Apart ''A Place Apart'' is a book by Irish author Dervla Murphy. It was first published by John Murray in 1978, and won the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize in 1979. The book is usually given the subtitle ''Northern Ireland in the 1970s'', bu ...

'' * 1980:

Robert Kee Robert Kee (5 October 1919 – 11 January 2013) was a British broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and Ireland. Life and career He was educated at Stowe School, Buckingham, and read history ...

, ''Ireland: A Television History'' * 1981:

F. S. L. Lyons Francis Stewart Leland Lyons (11 November 1923 – 21 September 1983) was an Irish historian and academic who was Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1974 to 1981. Biography Known as Le among his friends and family, Lyons was born in Derry, ...

, ''Culture and Anarchy in Ireland, 1890-1939'' * 1982: '' Fortnight'' magazine * 1983: John Bowman, ''De Valera and the Ulster Question, 1917-1973'' * 1984:

Oliver MacDonagh Oliver Ormond Gerard Michael MacDonagh (1924–2002), was a professor of Irish history who made a particular study of the historic relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom. MacDonagh spent most of his academic career at universities i ...

, ''States of Mind: A Study of Anglo-Irish Conflict, 1780-1980'' * 1984: Padraig O'Malley, ''The Uncivil Wars: Ireland Today'' * 1985:

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...

, '' Translations'' * 1986:

Frank McGuinness Professor Frank McGuinness (born 1953) is an Irish writer. As well as his own plays, which include '' The Factory Girls'', ''Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme'', ''Someone Who'll Watch Over Me'' and ''Dolly West's Kitchen'', ...

, '' Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme'' ** 1986 Special Award: Hubert Butler * 1987–88: David McKittrick and

Mary Holland Mary Holland (born June 24, 1985) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Early life and education Holland was born and raised in Galax, Virginia. She attended Interlochen Center for the Arts and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from North ...

, newspaper columns * 1989–90:

John H. Whyte John Henry Whyte (30 April 1928 in Penang, Malaya – 16 May 1990 in New York, United States) was an Irish historian, political scientist and author of books on Northern Ireland, divided societies and church-state affairs in Ireland. Early ...

, ''Interpreting Northern Ireland'' ** 1989–90 special citation:

Blackstaff Press The Blackstaff Press is a publishing company in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1971, it publishes printed books on a range of subjects (mainly, but not exclusively, of Irish interest) and, since 2011, has also published e- ...

* 1991–92: Brian Keenan, ''An Evil Cradling'' * 1993–94: Fionnuala O'Connor, ''In Search of a State: Catholics in Northern Ireland'' * 1995–96:

Norman Porter Norman Porter was a loyalist politician in Northern Ireland. A lay preacher, an Orangeman, an Apprentice Boy and a member of the Royal Black Institution,Paul Bew,Good Friday man?, ''Times Online'' Porter became the leader of the National Un ...

, ''Rethinking Unionism: An Alternative Vision for Northern Ireland'' * 1995–96: Sebastian Barry, ''The Steward of Christendom'' * 1997–98: Peter Hart, ''The IRA and its Enemies; Violence and Community in Cork, 1916-1923'' * 1999–2000: David McKittrick, Seamus Kelters, Brian Feeney and Chris Thornton, ''Lost Lives: The Stories of the Men, Women and Children who Died as a Result of the Northern Ireland Troubles'' * 2001–02:

Linen Hall Library The Linen Hall Library is located at 17 Donegall Square North, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Northern Ireland. The Library is physically in the centre of Belfast, and more g ...

, ''Troubled Images Project'' * 2003–04:

Tom Dunne Thomas Dunne is an Irish radio broadcaster with Newstalk, and a singer/songwriter with the band Something Happens. Prior to joining Newstalk, Dunne worked on Today FM, presenting his very successful and hugely popular radio program, "Pet Soun ...

, ''Rebellions: Memoir, Memory and 1798'' ** 2003–04 Special Award:

Garret FitzGerald Garret Desmond FitzGerald (9 February 192619 May 2011) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, economist and barrister who served twice as Taoiseach, serving from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1987. He served as Leader of Fine Gael from 1977 to 1987, and ...

* 2005–06:

Richard English Richard Ludlow English (born 1963) is a Northern Irish historian and political scientist from Northern Ireland. He was born in Belfast. He studied as an undergraduate at Keble College, Oxford, and subsequently at Keele University, where he w ...

, ''Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland'' ** 2005–06 Special Award:

Michael Longley Michael Longley, (born 27 July 1939, Belfast, Northern Ireland), is an Anglo-Irish poet. Life and career One of twin boys, Michael Longley was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to English parents, Longley was educated at the Royal Belfast A ...

* 2007–08: David Park, ''The Truth Commissioner'' ** 2007–08 Special Award: Fergus D'Arcy, ''Remembering the War Dead'' * 2009–10: Timothy Knatchbull, ''From a Clear Blue Sky: Surviving the Mountbatten Bomb'' * 2009–10:

Guy Hibbert Guy Hibbert is a British screenwriter and playwright. He has won four BAFTA TV awards, including Best Writer for the 2009 film ''Five Minutes of Heaven''. This film was premiered at the 25th Sundance Film Festival, where Hibbert won the World Ci ...

and Oliver Hirschbiegel, '' Five Minutes of Heaven'' * 2011–12: Julieann Campbell, ''Setting the Truth Free: The Inside Story of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign'' * 2011–12: Douglas Murray, ''Bloody Sunday: Truth, Lies and the Saville Inquiry'' ** 2011–12: Special Award: Peter Taylor (for his work covering Northern Ireland over many years) * 2013–14:

Charles Townshend Charles Townshend (28 August 1725 – 4 September 1767) was a British politician who held various titles in the Parliament of Great Britain. His establishment of the controversial Townshend Acts is considered one of the key causes of the Ame ...

, ''The Republic: The Fight for Irish Independence 1918-1923'' ** 2013–14: Special Award,

Colette Bryce Colette Bryce is a poet, freelance writer, and editor. She was a Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Dundee from 2003 to 2005, and a North East Literary Fellow at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne from 2005 to 2007. She was the ...

, ''The Whole & Rain-domed Universe'' (in memory of Seamus Heaney) * 2015–17: Fergal Keane, ''Wounds: A Memoir of Love and War''The 2015 – 2017 Prize
/ref> ** 2015–17: Special Award,

Marianne Elliott Marianne Phoebe Elliott (born 27 December 1966) is a British theatre director and producer who works on the West End and Broadway. She has received numerous accolades including three Laurence Olivier Awards and four Tony Awards. Initially ...

(for her achievement in advancing the understanding of Irish history in Britain) * 2018–19:

Anna Burns Anna Burns FRSL (born 7 March 1962) is an author from Northern Ireland. Her novel ''Milkman'' won the 2018 Booker Prize, the 2019 Orwell Prize for political fiction, and the 2020 International Dublin Literary Award. Biography She was born in B ...

, '' Milkman'' ** 2018–19: Special Award,

Katy Hayward Katy Hayward is a Northern Irish academic and writer based at Queens University, Belfast. Academic career Hayward is a Reader in Sociology at Queens in Belfast, with a specialism in conflict resolution. She completed her undergraduate degree i ...

, for her Twitter account * 2020-21: Gail McConnell, book of poetry, ''The Sun is Open'', published by Penned in the Margins.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
Awards established in 1977 1977 establishments in the United Kingdom British literary awards Political book awards