Directions for Submitting Books for the Wiley-Silver Prize

The Center for Civil War Research is accepting submissions for the annual Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History. The prize will be awarded to the best first book in Civil War history published in 2023.  It recognizes exceptional emerging scholars in the history of the American Civil War.  The prize is named for two distinguished former members of the University's History Department faculty, Bell Irvin Wiley and James W. Silver. The winner will receive a prize of $2,000. 

Eligibility: The Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History will be awarded annually to a scholar’s first book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year.  For this competition, single-author books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses in calendar year 2023 are eligible.  Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible.  Except in extraordinary circumstances, textbooks are not eligible, nor are anthologies or edited works. Works by authors who have previously published a book (on any topic) are not eligible. 

To Submit a Book: The Center and each prize committee member must receive one copy of the book by Friday, February 23, 2024.  Entries may be submitted by publishers or authors.  Each entry must be clearly labeled “Wiley-Silver Prize Entry.” If the book carries a copyright date different from the publication date, publishers must enclose a letter explaining the eligibility of the entry.  Results will be announced by August 1, 2024. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at aholm@olemiss.edu.

Send submissions to:

Center for Civil War Research 
Department of History 
310 Bishop Hall
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677   

Andrew Lang
Department of History
208 Allen Hall
Mailbox H
Mississippi State, MS 39762

Barbara Gannon
11128 Cypress Leaf Dr.
Orlando, FL 32825

Amy Murrell Taylor (Wiley-Silver Prize)
Department of History
1715 Patterson Office Tower
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506