The Reid Prize
The Reid Prize
For the most significant book contributing to the understanding of Asia
Applications for the Reid Prize 2025-6 will open on 18 November 2024 and will close on at 5pm AEST on 28 March 2025. Works published between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2024 are eligible. The Reid Prize recognises work that has made an exemplary contribution to understanding of Asia. The prize was established to acknowledge the importance of ongoing efforts to deepen public understanding internationally of Asian cultures, politics, histories and societies.
This prize will be awarded biennially to the book that has best advanced the understanding of Asia in the last four years. This may include fiction, non-fiction, academic books and translations into English of major works originally authored by Asian writers. Eligible authors/ translators must be based in Australia or New Zealand.
The prize is to the value of AUD $8,000. The prize winner will be invited to give the Reid Lecture at the biennial ASAA conference. In addition to the cash prize, the winner will be reimbursed up to $2,000 for the cost of economy airfare within Australia or from NZ, conference registration, and airport transfers.
This prize is generously endowed by Tony and Helen Reid, pictured above (read more about Tony and Helen here).
- Works eligible for this prize include fiction, non-fiction, academic books and translations into English of major works originally authored by Asian writers
- The eligibility window for the Reid Prize 2025 will be 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2024
- A book can only be considered for the Reid Prize once. We encourage authors to ensure they have built a case for impact before applying for the prize
- A book can only be considered for one ASAA book prize per year. For example, a book cannot be considered for both the Reid Prize and the ECR/MCR book prize in the same round. A book that was considered for the ECR / MCR book prize 2023-4 may be nominated for the Reid Prize 2025, as it is not in the same year
- Authors must hold their primary affiliation with an Australian or New Zealand university, including either as permanent, contract or casual staff
- All authors need to be members of ASAA or NZ Asia at the time of application.
- Co-authored works are eligible as long as at least 50% of authors meet the eligibility criteria (eg one of two authors, or two of four co-authors)
- An authors’ eligibility in terms of their institutional affiliation and ASAA/NZ Asia membership is taken as at the time of application.
The book must, in the opinion of the judges:
- Have made, or have the capacity to make, a significant contribution to promote understanding of Asia internationally
- have made, or have the capacity to make, a substantial scholarly impact
Note: the contribution and impact of the work will be considered with reference to measures of quality, esteem and impact relevant to the genre of the book and the field it contributes to. The author/s should provide evidence of this in the application form
The author/s for the Reid Prize must complete the Reid Prize application form. The form asks for the details of the author/s and the details of the book. The form then asks the applicant to:
- Provide a brief summary of the book (max 300 words)
- Provide a brief explanation of the methodology and approach of the book (max 300 words)
- Explain the significance of the book and its contribution to the field (max 2,000 words)
The applicant is also asked to provide an e-version of the book to the prize committee and to commit to sending a hardcopy of the book to each committee member on receipt of their postal addresses from the prize organiser.
All applicants will receive an email after the deadline passes with the email addresses and postal addresses of the committee.
The applicant is asked to confirm that if they win the Reid Prize, they will be available to serve on a future ASAA prize committee if needed.
Applications for the Reid Prize 2025 will open on 18 November 2024, with works published between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2024 eligible. Applications will close at 5pm AEST on Friday 28 March 2025. The winner of the Reid Prize will be announced in the second half of 2025.
Past judges for the Reid Prize have included:
- Anne McLaren (2022)
- Krishna Sen (2022)
- Purnendra Jain (2022)
Questions?
Reid Prize FAQ – and answers:
The eligibility window for the Reid Prize 2025 will be works published between 1 Jan 2020 and 31 Dec 2024
- Yes, co-authored books are eligible; however, a majority of the authors must satisfy the eligibility criteria
- Yes, solo-edited books are eligible
- Yes, translated books are eligible so long as the book and translator also satisfy other eligibility criteria
- Yes, single-authored books of poetry, collections of short stories and drama are eligible
Australians and New Zealanders who are based outside Australia and New Zealand at the time of nomination will only be eligible in cases where they have co-authored books with colleagues resident in Australia or New Zealand.
The judging panel will include three eminent scholars reflecting a breadth of country and disciplinary expertise. The judges are appointed by the ASAA Executive.
No. A book can only be considered for one ASAA book prize per year. Works nominated for the ECR / MCR Book Prize 2023/2024 are eligible for the Reid Prize 2025, as these prizes are being run in different years.
Yes, as long as your book meets the eligibility window for each prize. Keep in mind that the Reid prize requires further justification about impact. The main thing is that your book cannot be considered for two prizes in the same year
The choice is up to the author. Please note that the ECR/MCR prize is only open to books published in the two years prior to the round; whereas the eligibility window for the Reid prize is four years.
