Announcement of the 2015 BARS First Book Prize Shortlist

A statement from Professor Emma Clery, University of Southampton.

As chair of the panel judging the BARS First Book Prize, I am delighted to announce the following shortlist:

• Jeremy Davies, Bodily Pain in Romantic Literature (Routledge, 2014).
• Mary Fairclough, The Romantic Crowd: Sympathy, Controversy and Print Culture (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
• Maureen McCue, British Romanticism and the Reception of Italian Old Master Art, 1793–1840 (Ashgate, 2014).
• Orianne Smith, Romantic Women Writers, Revolution, and Prophecy Rebellious Daughters, 1786–1826 (Cambridge University Press, 2013).

There were 21 nominations received by the deadline of 31 January 2015, and it has been a pleasure and a privilege for us to read and discuss the wealth of impressive work in the field. Aside from general excellence and originality, a crucial criterion for this prize has been an interdisciplinary approach. Interdisciplinarity has been a hallmark of BARS from its inception. All of the shortlisted books conduct interdisciplinary research in imaginative and rigorous ways, and excitingly redefine our understanding of ‘Romanticism’.

The winner of the 2015 prize will be announced at the opening wine reception of the conference on Thursday, 16 July 2015.

Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors!